I thought I have to write about this.
The Yahoo Mail, which I thought was the best thing that has happened in the internet was my first exposure. I did enjoy checking my mails everyday. The personal emails from family and friends provides me enjoyment and has become a "hard habit to break".
I did not even care about the links or other web functions that I get to encounter because I thought I am getting all I need from the emails. The Yahoo Messenger was the "next big thing" for me. But because I am not comfortable with "chatting" I did not concentrate on it.
One unpleasant tilt in my life!
It was pleasant during the first try though. I was carrying an advocacy so getting into the chat rooms for a project was meaningful. Well, we have to attract chat room users to go to our website for counseling. We were involved in reproductive and sexual health in relation to HIV/AIDS and study of sexual behaviors is relevant to our work and cause.
Because of the clout of internet users and some sexual activities in the internet this was one area wherein we can expand our services to address the lack of education and information regarding HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
I was amazed. For an hour wherein I am supposed to be in the chat room and be the person I am supposed to be playing, is just like playing a role in the theater or movies. It was exciting that I get to explore more of myself in different personages other than I am. It was difficult too because there were levels of pretentions. But because of some goals that I so believe in, I did not think of purposely deceiving because I also give my full genuine concerns.
So, this is how it works here in the internet. Hmmmmmm. The project stayed long, but I have to leave it for another one.
I encountered real-life drama of some counselee regarding internet affairs. I have seen genuine struggles from emotional and psychological challenges of internet relationships in the midst of happy and stable marriages. I too, often quivered at the thought of the level of motivations (happiness or escape) of the people involved. Do we get serious with this, that one could consider leaving one's family for another mate/person in the virtual world? Hmmmmmm!
Going back. I was delighted. I found out that indeed this world could be a venue to gain lots of friends. Who eventually became true friends who got through a process with me. A process because I was no longer playing a role. I was me. And I concluded that there was nothing wrong with being a genuine person in the internet. Of course, I was fully aware of the risks in getting entangled with serious and some (cybersex) relationships. But even then and in the internet, I have high respect for love and sex. It should not be discriminately done as I always believed and valued. But most of all, I believe people should have some level of decency and some deciphering somewhere!
I was aghast. I found out how fragile friendship or relationships could be in the internet. One or two words read could mean differently from what was intended. One or two paragraphs could have explained but because of two different worlds, time zone and space everything spelled "disaster". I say, take hold of "who you are" in the face of disasters. A click in the internet could provide lots of opportunities not to be wasted unproductively.
I was shocked and troubled, too. But an eye-opener.
Just enjoy the technology. I still believe in the beauty of "communication". I still believe that we should be genuine in interaction. Even in this kind of technology, I believe genuiness can be felt by the recipient.
I am still shy to enter the chat rooms. The feeling is the same when one enters a room full of people and staring at you. So I do not go alone. I go with a friend.
I did not even care about the links or other web functions that I get to encounter because I thought I am getting all I need from the emails. The Yahoo Messenger was the "next big thing" for me. But because I am not comfortable with "chatting" I did not concentrate on it.
One unpleasant tilt in my life!
It was pleasant during the first try though. I was carrying an advocacy so getting into the chat rooms for a project was meaningful. Well, we have to attract chat room users to go to our website for counseling. We were involved in reproductive and sexual health in relation to HIV/AIDS and study of sexual behaviors is relevant to our work and cause.
Because of the clout of internet users and some sexual activities in the internet this was one area wherein we can expand our services to address the lack of education and information regarding HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
I was amazed. For an hour wherein I am supposed to be in the chat room and be the person I am supposed to be playing, is just like playing a role in the theater or movies. It was exciting that I get to explore more of myself in different personages other than I am. It was difficult too because there were levels of pretentions. But because of some goals that I so believe in, I did not think of purposely deceiving because I also give my full genuine concerns.
So, this is how it works here in the internet. Hmmmmmm. The project stayed long, but I have to leave it for another one.
I encountered real-life drama of some counselee regarding internet affairs. I have seen genuine struggles from emotional and psychological challenges of internet relationships in the midst of happy and stable marriages. I too, often quivered at the thought of the level of motivations (happiness or escape) of the people involved. Do we get serious with this, that one could consider leaving one's family for another mate/person in the virtual world? Hmmmmmm!
Going back. I was delighted. I found out that indeed this world could be a venue to gain lots of friends. Who eventually became true friends who got through a process with me. A process because I was no longer playing a role. I was me. And I concluded that there was nothing wrong with being a genuine person in the internet. Of course, I was fully aware of the risks in getting entangled with serious and some (cybersex) relationships. But even then and in the internet, I have high respect for love and sex. It should not be discriminately done as I always believed and valued. But most of all, I believe people should have some level of decency and some deciphering somewhere!
I was aghast. I found out how fragile friendship or relationships could be in the internet. One or two words read could mean differently from what was intended. One or two paragraphs could have explained but because of two different worlds, time zone and space everything spelled "disaster". I say, take hold of "who you are" in the face of disasters. A click in the internet could provide lots of opportunities not to be wasted unproductively.
I was shocked and troubled, too. But an eye-opener.
Just enjoy the technology. I still believe in the beauty of "communication". I still believe that we should be genuine in interaction. Even in this kind of technology, I believe genuiness can be felt by the recipient.
I am still shy to enter the chat rooms. The feeling is the same when one enters a room full of people and staring at you. So I do not go alone. I go with a friend.
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