I thought I had heard everything about reasons to divorce:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/13/second-life-divorce

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/14/second-life-virtual-worlds-divorce

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24654561-5006301,00.html

Way too weird for me.

All I can think is that the couples' unions were already in jeopardy for the simple fact that one (or both, who knows really) of the pair sought virtual 'couplings.'

I agree with you on this one, Gims.
Dancer

YEE GADS, whats next?

I saw a story on tv about real people marrying their online fantasies, who aren't people at all. Like marrying a cartoon or whatever.

What with the rise of the internet, I'm going to guess that a lot of folks see these 'outings' as a safe form of straying. They can get a little thrill -- surely it's attention or variety they are looking for -- without worrying about the messiness or danger of real people. But it's like everything virtual and can go too far: video games, too much time on message boards, gambling, dating, whatever. (To be even creepier, I know that people looking for all sorts of [censored] have found the internet to be a gold mine).

In short, like gims says, if you are looking for it you can find it. It's a shame: so many people find virtual friends, but it goes both ways. Virtual friends or lovers can take you away from the real thing.

I saw a movie with Sylvester Stallone awhile back -- some goofy sci-fi action/comedy thing set in the future -- and there the folks had only virtual sex. Needless to say, his character is catapaulted into the future and has no idea what's going on. But the female character, who startles him with an offer of sex, explains that no one actually 'does' that anymore -- ewww -- not after all the diseases that occurred after AIDS. So they wear virtual reality headsets. Sometimes fiction creeps closer to truth than we imagine ....

One of the largest and most money making idustries even in todays economy, is PHONE SEX!!! It's usually safe, no contact and a man can be whatever he wants to be to the woman who is being well paid to make him believe he really is what he says he is. No hurt, no fowl!

The only troublesome thing is that some of these bone headed men start believing these 'phone actress's' and it causes trouble on the home front. It's not cheap either....

Makes you wonder how the computer has affected some people doesn't it.

If thats the case Anne, and I agree that it is, the human race is in trouble. Everyone is poretending to be someone or something they're not. The compouter has made that so easy it has become the norm, not the exception.