Are Online Relationships Healthy

There is a lot of conflicting opinions when it comes to whether or not the internet has allowed us to get closer to one another.  Some will say that the internet makes it easy to connect with people from all over the world and all walks of life, people you wouldn't usually  come into contact with any other way, while others think it's taking the 'connection' out of relationships.  No matter which side of the argument you are on the question: are online relationships healthy, is a valid one.

While most people think that each relationship has to be judged on it's own merits, there are some things you can look for to make sure your relationship is a healthy one.

Here are some tips for making the most out of your online relationships:

1.  For one thing, don't pay to join a dating site, with so many social sites available like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. there's really no reason for most people to pay to join a dating site.  Some people may like the idea of all of their 'matches' being screened by someone else but for the most part, it's probably an unnecessary step... and it will cost you.

2.  When you first meet someone online take full advantage of all the technology to slow things down, or speed them up if you prefer.  You can communicate with just email if you want to take things slowly, after a while if you're comfortable with each other you can start to instant message each other and you may want to eventually use a web cam to communicate.  The point is that with an online relationship both of you have a lot more control over the pace of the relationship which can help you build a very solid relationship.

3.  To make sure that you're not having an online relationship solely because you are afraid to have a 'real' offline one, it might be a good idea to plan to meet at some point if things go well.  Most people want and need human contact and will eventually want to move a good relationship into the physical world. If the person you are dating online is reluctant to do that it could be a red flag.  Maybe they are already in a relationship with someone or maybe they have some behavioral issues that makes them fear a real world relationship.

4. When the two of you do decide it's time to meet offline, don't ever forget that the person you've been chatting with and getting to know may not really be the person they say they are.  That's one of the drawbacks of only communicating via instant messages and email, people can lie about who they are.  Always arrange to meet them in a public place and even thought you may have spent months getting to know each other online, when you actually meet it should be almost like starting from scratch and you should take it slowly. 

Many people have asked the question: are online relationships healthy?  The truth is that it depends on each individual relationship. Use the information above to make sure that the relationship you have is a good and healthy one, that's really all that matters.

Are Online Relationships Cheating - Yes Or No

If your significant other seems to be spending a significant amount of time online, you may wonder what is going on and are online relationships cheating?  For the most part that depends on you and your relationship.  If you and your partner are OK with the other  having a lot of online friends, regardless of gender, then it's not cheating to the two of you.

If, on the other hand, one or both of you considers a deep connection with another person either online or off to be cheating than yes it is.  You and your partner define your own relationship. 

The internet, and all the social sites that are constantly popping up, have made it a lot easier to find other people to connect with.  That can be a great thing. It's fun to reconnect with old friends you haven't seen or heard from in years. The problems can come when your partner seems to enjoy their online friendships more than they like spending time with you.

While it may not be technically cheating, it can definitely put a serious strain on your relationship.  If your partner is forming an emotional attachment with someone else online, that doesn't leave a lot of room for the two of you.  Your relationship can start to get pretty crowded if that starts to happen.

If you believe that your partner is spending too much time online the best course of action, in most cases, is to talk to them about it.  The operative word here is 'talk'.  Not scream, nag, or accuse.  Just explain to them that you miss them and you don't feel like the two of you are connecting the way you used to. 

Suggest some time when the two of you can get together one on one.  If you present this request to your partner in a calm, loving way you can tell a lot about what they're really thinking based on their response.  For example, if you aren't accusing your partner of doing anything wrong yet they still get defensive it could very likely mean they have a guilty conscience, maybe they really are doing something they know they shouldn't be.

If they get angry that you've asked them to cut back on the amount of time they spend online than it's highly likely that your partner has 'met' someone new.  Most people would consider this a form of cheating even if the two people haven't met in person.  No one wants their partner to be thinking about someone else too often.  If that is the case your relationship could be in real trouble and in most cases it's best to try to address the issue head on and see if the two of you want to work it out.

If you're wondering; are online relationships cheating, then it's possible you already have a problem with your relationship. Try to talk to your partner and find out where they are coming from.  If either you or your partner is having romantic thoughts about another person, and that's never a good sign.