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Lovers’ Digital Trails Capture Relationships’ Ups and Downs (Wired)
Aug 24th, 2007 by Viviane
by Regina Lynn
The internet has become a proving ground for trying out relationship styles, and anyone who’s ever done so knows just how serious online relating can become — even if all you intended was a quick look to see what all the fuss was about.
These relationships can and do become the catalyst for drastic and painful transitions in your life. They can help you “get it out of your system” and confirm your relationship choices, or they can open your eyes to Your True Path. Whether your partner wants to walk that road with you is a whole ‘nother thing.
Given the impulse to interact and connect with other humans once we’re online, you might think that a virtual relationship — a relationship with a fictional partner — would be an even better way to learn about how we relate to one another, without risk of heartbreak or life-changing decisions.
That’s one of the questions behind a recent University of Illinois study that took three groups of subjects through three variations of a virtual relationship to see how attachment styles — how secure or insecure one is about intimacy — correspond to actions in a relationship. (more. . . )