EMOTIONAL VOID MAKES PEOPLE TO SEEK OUT

Technology does not change the definition of love nor all the feelings that go along with it. It just changes the courtship format.

From the way we meet someone, realise he or she is special and proceed to enter into a courtship ritual before deciding whether the relationship is for keeps or not. But meeting someone online means that a first impression is created even before you actually see the person. Therefore often, lying comes easy, just to create a projected image of oneself. You lie to impress the other person, said a clinical psychologist.

“People in love and people who have had a breakup both have chemical reactions in their brains, linked to dopamine, serotonin, testosterone and oestrogen systems. These lead to people seeking out others, to let go pain and to get back the feel good factor. They are excited about the fact that people are showing interest in them, a feeling of acceptance. It is like an approval of who they want to be has been given and this helps them deal with their loneliness and depression. People periodically need an ‘ego booster’, to enhance their self-esteem and confidence,” said psychologist, Priyanka Padhi.

“People also get into online dating because of their changing sexual behaviour, from wanting many partners to onenight stands or just to explore their sexual side. Others also get into such sites not to find a partner or get into a romantic relationship, but to overcome boredom, to get away from their humdrum daily life chaos or stress and fulfil their fantasies through their anonymous online presence. Often they walk into a trap but do not realise it,” she added.

“People fall victim to being catfished because they are flattered by someone who is showing interest in them, as they go through lonely moments in life,” concluded the doctor.