New communication methods bring possibilities and pitfalls

An article at the Australian Mercury discusses that new methods of communication are changing the way singles and couples interact with one another.

Email, text messages and Internet chat rooms have changed the rules of flirtation, and brought a new, freer sexual language full of innuendo, suggestion and witticisms.

More interactions than ever take place in this virtual world, and boundaries often slip. Language that wouldn’t be used face-to-face or spoken over the telephone is freely used towards strangers in the digital realm.

Kate Fox, co-director of Britain’s Social Issues Research Centre, describes cyber communications as occurring in a “liminal zone”, that is, a well-documented phenomenon “in which normal rules and social constructions are suspended”. Strange things happen in liminal zones: public nudity at Mardi Gras, self-mutilation during tribal initiation ceremonies and drunken revelry at Schoolies’ Week are some real-life examples. Yet to the individuals involved, their behaviour feels normal - because it’s acceptable within that zone. After interviewing 1000 people about their flirting habits, Fox found that all respondents, without exception, claimed they’d say things in cyberspace that they would never say face-to-face. “It’s a little bit like being drunk,” one person explained.

The article then goes on to discuss cyber-flirting and online dating, its increasing popularity, infidelity, and how it can affect real-world relationships.

Read the full article: I Want Yr Text