More British women are having affairs in cyberspace, according to a new nationwide survey conducted by America Online whose results were released this week.
“The Internet isn't to blame for affairs, it provides the opportunity - the motivation was always there," said psychologist Susan Quilliam about the survey.
This survey said that, among 32,000 British women polled, 39 percent said they don’t believe their virtual relationships equal betraying their spouse or partner if they haven’t actually met the other person.
The survey also showed 28 percent of those women felt they were being unfaithful only if they shared “very intimate details” with their cyberlovers.
The kicker: Asked if they found their partners in online affairs, nearly a quarter of the women said they wouldn’t accept it and would ask them to stop, AOL said.
Quilliam, whom a British newspaper described as an AOL “agony aunt,” said online relationships should be wake-up calls. “If you feel yourself tempted,” she told reporters, “rebuild your central relationship so you don’t need to play away.”
But she acknowledged the Internet has advantages in meeting prospective new lovers. “It takes an awful lot of going out to bars and clubs to get the sheer numbers of people who are online waiting to meet you,” she said. “It’s so convenient. You can do it in the comfort of your own home on your laptop.”
