|
||||||
|
||||||
|
Is the Internet a Miracle Cure For Loneliness?A few years ago a surprising survey discovered that people who spent a lot of time on the Internet were a lot lonelier than people who didn't spend much time on the Net.This was an unexpected find because many people view the Internet and e-mail as a great way to make and keep connections with other people. So what is the truth? Does spending time on the Internet actually make people more lonely? Or did this study simply show that people who are already lonely spend a lot of time on the Net? As happens so often, the technology itself is neutral; whether it is good or bad depends on how the technology is used. The day can fly by very quickly when you spend time on the Internet, whether you are looking for information, or visiting a chat room. Using the Internet, you can easily find people who share the same obscure interests you may have, such as raising Abyssinian cats, or studying Florentine tapestries. Through the Internet you can find another person who is struggling with an illness or problem similar to yours, and who understands exactly what you are going through. The vastness and the speed of the Internet means you can hook up instantly with people on the other side of the world and have lengthy conversations with them about intimate matters you have never discussed with anyone else. The anonymity of the Internet can be a double-edged sword. You can feel safe revealing your innermost self to a total stranger because he lives five thousand miles away and you will probably never meet him. You might believe you can tell him your innermost thoughts, even those you can't tell your husband. You may feel encouraged and supported by a person you have met on-line in a way that you don't believe you are supported by any of the people in your everyday life. Your Internet friends may find it easy to offer you support and encouragement because they will never have to back up their typed words with any real action or commitment. Talk is cheap, and supportive talk on the Internet may or may not be sincerely offered. It's true that some relationships that start off on the Internet will develop into long term on-line friendships that last decades, even if the two correspondents never meet in person. And in some cases these on-line relationships will also successfully transform into friendships in the off-line world. But the kind of interaction you get on the Internet lacks some of the most important aspects of a friendship--the interaction with a real live human person. You don't get to experience a friend's face light up with a smile because he is happy to see you. You don't get to take part in shared activities, and develop a history together. You don't have someone put their hand on yours as you exchange confidences. You don't even know that your Internet friend is really who he claims he is! You don't know beyond a shadow of a doubt that anything your on-line friend says about himself is true. Although the Internet is a unique and useful means of communication between people, don't use it as a complete substitute for live social contact. Balance your on-line activities with activities that involve meeting and interacting with real live people in your local community. Don't use the availability and ease of Internet relationships as an excuse to avoid some of the more difficult, yet ultimately more rewarding work of developing relationships with the people you already have around you. About the author: This article is taken from the new book by Royane Real titled "How You Can Have All the Friends You Want – Your Complete Guide to Finding Friends, Making Friends and Keeping Friends" If you want to improve your social life, download it today at http://www.royanereal.com Circulated by Article Emporium Take Control of the Reins of Your Mind The power that you have in your mind is truly phenomenal, but like the rest of us, you may have trouble controlling it at times. Here is an analogy that illustrates this perfectly... Your mind is like a strong, wild horse, powerfu... How To Ruin Your Online Dating Success These days you seldom meet a single person who never tried online dating - unless they aren't Internet users. Since you are reading this, I assume you ARE online - so this information can be crucial for your online dating success. Most people placing personal ads ... Achievement and Happiness The 80/20 Way Copyright 2005 Rasheed Ali If there was ever a principle that was responsible for the most happiness and achievement in the world, it would be the 80/20 Principle. The 80/20 Principle or Pareto Principle was discovered in 1897 by an Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto w... The Power of Beliefs Years ago I had the opportunity to meet a woman who reinforced my understanding of the power of beliefs. A woman who is probably one of the most powerful individuals I will ever encounter. I met Chris in 1986 while taking the Dale Carnegie course in Santa Rosa, California. <... 5 Steps to Dating with Integrity Copyright 2005 Heartmind Connection, LLC Here you are. You just have had another failed relationship, wondering do I want to put myself back out there to and try to meet someone just to be disappointed again. How can you take a different approach this time? How can you in... Fear… Control It Before It Controls You! Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death. -Author, Unknown Fear… The most overrated concept known to man! Fear is not reality, but rather a perception of reality. Interesting how all of mankind suffers this ‘perceived' condition. The truth is, although we ... How Concentrated Psychic Thought Links All Humanity Together It is within your power to gratify your every wish. Success is the result of the way you think. I will show you how to think to be successful. The power to rule and attract success is within yourself. The barriers that shut these off f... Do What You Love, Love What You Do Everyone dreams of a life full of love and adventure. But we fill ourselves with reasons not to follow our dreams. Instead of protecting us, they imprison and hold us back. Life will be over before we know it, so now is the time to really live life and love. In Lif... Are You Getting The Sleep You Really Need? Do you get enough sleep? Chances are you don't. Many people living in modern industrial societies suffer from a chronic, and worsening sleep deficit. Until a few decades ago, most people lived lives so very different from ours that we would scarcely recognize them. Unt... Ordinary or Extra-Ordinary? There is a way to feel wonderful all of the time and what's more it is quite simple to implement. I'm not sure about you, but I can't think of any other outcome that would be higher, or that I would enjoy more, than for a person to have had an interaction with me and enjo... The Problem With Setting Goals Focus on Your Goal, Not on How You'll Get There Excerpted from Business Black Belt by Burke Franklin "Don't tell me that something is impossible. Tell me what it would take to make it possible." After we figure out what we want, we usually start to st... Setting Goals That Empower The Business Owner Copyright 2005 Terry Strom To succeed to the greatest extend possible, you need to set goals. But those goals must be reachable and stretchable. Reachable so you will believe that you can attain them, and stretchable so that when you attain them, you will have moved fo... Another Reality Tv Show Or A Reality Check? Quote of the month: "The secret weapon for success is knowledge, so what you don't know can hurt you. - Geela These days there is a growing trend towards reality TV shows that are based on external shallow values. With the appeal of junk food, it has a powerful hypnotic ... Millionaire Mindset: Is Your Brain Sabotaging Your Success? Copyright 2005 Rick Miller Have you ever wondered why some people seem to have success with every they do? Do they have some magical power that you don't? Would you like to quickly get that power? In a recent interview for the List Crusade program, T. Harv Ek... Is the Internet a Miracle Cure For Loneliness? A few years ago a surprising survey discovered that people who spent a lot of time on the Internet were a lot lonelier than people who didn't spend much time on the Net. This was an unexpected find because many people view the Internet and e-mail as a great way to make a...
|
|
|||||
|
||||||