My sisters fella recently got himself online. It is a relatively new concept to him, as he is somewhat of a techno-phob, so it is quite a long process trying to get him to do things, and get into it. Slowly but surely he has found his feet on it, and he especially likes playing online games, and chatting to people, and basically just killing time. Nothing wrong with that, right? My sister has a slight problem with him talking to people online, and to be honest I don't really understand it. She has already informed me that if she finds out that he talks to girls online and she finds out about it, she won't be happy at all. I did try and push the subject a little further, but for the sake of my own life, I backed off and left it alone. Though I did manage to make the point to her, what is actually different about talking to a chick online, than talking to one for real? He should be really able to talk to anyone he wants to, it is all a matter of trust, afterall.
Now my sister isn't stupid, she is alot more aware of what happens on the internet. She knows that people meet up, and some just use it to find people to have one night stands. She knows how websites like MySpace work. She knows how easy it is to talk to someone who you can't talk to face to face, and spill out your guts to them, it's sometimes much easier than it is to talk to your own partner. Online you can be what you want to be, and you can make other people be what you want them to be, quite easily. Also, you can feel like people actually listen to you. Alot of the time in real life, people get so easily distracted by other things. Things that don't really matter. Where as talking here online, you just get someones personality, and what they are like. Sometimes it can fool you, and make you want to escape situations that you don't really want to face.
I have to say that I don't agree with my sisters views on this. I have met some pretty amazing people online, and I am lucky that I have the ability to get in touch with people half way across the world, because otherwise I wouldn't. I don't think that my sister should take that away from her fella. She should trust him, and have enough faith in their relationship to not be paranoid about talking to people online, and getting to know them. She isn't usually the jealous type, and I don't understand why the online thing is an issue. I know that she is aware of a few people who have met up from meeting online, and have got into relationships, but I really don't understand why that is an issue. You can go to your local pub and meet someone, it doesn't have to be on the internet.
In my opinion she shouldn't push this topic, and she should just leave him to do his own thing, and let him enjoy the joys of the internet that he has at the touch of a button. She should trust him, and have faith in their relationship. She should be aware that at times everyone needs some kind of outlet for the things that are going on in their heads, and sometimes that can't be your partner. She needs to understand that he will remain faithful, and by having these doubts she is doing herself, and him no good at all. If he is going to do the dirty, he will do it regardless of whether it's online, down the local, or in the park behind a tree. She just needs to relax, and trust him.