Effect of the internet on our relationships

[bedbitten]

What do you think the overall effect of the internet has had on our marriages and relationships? Do you think that it has helped it or hindered it?

 

The internet certainly makes communication easier. Here we are on loveshack, and we're able to exchange views and ideas related to our interests. We can exchange those ideas with people from all over the world, whereas previously, we were often limited to those from our immediate area.

 

But I often read about how the average amount of time spent on the internet is increasing each year. What effect do you think that has on our relationships? Does it lower the amount of time spent relating to each other in a meaningful way, or do you think people just lessen the amount of time they spend in other activities in order to keep close to their spouses/partners?

 

I personally think it has a negative impact. I myself find the internet to be a time suck. I get drawn into my own interests and the solitude it creates.

[StalwartMind]

As with anything else it has both a positive and negative influence, even on people who don't use it. I like to believe that it has made a lot of things easier to do or at the least more approachable. I'll also agree with you that for many people it can lead to the state of seclusion. Again it has much to do with finding the right balance so your life doesn't suffer from the potential negatives. So in that sense it is always our own responsibility to not neglect a relationship or be tempted by something to create an unbalance.

 

I could be wrong and perhaps my impression is skewed, but I feel many people get consumed by focusing on "negative" aspects of most things. Don't get me wrong there is a place for that too, especially if your goal is to improve the state of something. However most just seem to be for the sake of having something to dislike. If you really want to, you can let any negative element take over your life completely. You don't have to look very hard to see or hear other people be almost consumed by some kind of inner rage that has no real source.

 

Healthy couples and people in general will realize when something is to their own detriment. While to some it may seem like nonsense, the internet can much like anything else be an addiction too. Whether you are craving for news or need to keep up with the latest social status of people you know, there are many ways to get "caught up in the web" so to speak. At the end of the day there technically isn't a right or wrong way to go about your life, although I'm sure plenty will disagree about that (because their opinion is naturally better than others ).

[bedbitten]

I could be wrong and perhaps my impression is skewed, but I feel many people get consumed by focusing on "negative" aspects of most things.

 

I agree with that. It's especially true regarding something new, which the internet still is compared to TV or movies.