Punky Fu

 PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS AFFECTING ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS

Whether you like it or not, the “final frontier” in relationships is not in outer space, but rather cyberspace. People make friends, colleagues, lovers, and enemies online daily and in considerable number on social networking sites like Facebook, My Space or Twitter, etc.

Critics say that these relationships do not compare to “real” ones. Supporters will argue that these relationships are as “real” as any. This has led to considerable debate over the quality of these relationships. Naturally there is no easy answer to this debate because terms like “real” and “relationship” are typically defined at an individual level.

Consequently, judging the value of any relationship must be done by the participants of said relationship.

It is worth noting, however, that ANY relationship can be healthy or unhealthy, and while plenty of research has been compiled about potential toxicity of “traditional” in-person relationships, there is a cultural lag with the online relationship.

Following are some well established psychological theories that may apply to the cyber friendship. These factors may or may not appropriately apply to any individual relationship, BUT they may worth consideration, especially if the online relationship is the sole substitute of in-person one and based on inadequacy and not choice.