Am I Normal?

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-01-2006
Am I Normal?
7
Wed, 01-04-2006 - 8:10pm
I'm new to posting here but have read many posts. Everytime I go online and see that others that have sent me smiles or contacted me are on I feel sort of guilty that I'm on too and I log off and go on later? and I kind of feel awkward to talk to them after. Am I normal or just dumb? Does anyone else experience this? Please let me know?
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-18-2005
In reply to: sdearest
Wed, 01-04-2006 - 9:14pm
Just to clarify: you feel guilty because you are not responding to their winks or whatnots when you know they can see that you're online?
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-01-2006
In reply to: sdearest
Wed, 01-04-2006 - 9:21pm
no, we have corresponded in some form and now we both can see that we are both online and I kind of feel like I am "online cheating" or something like that (even though they are doing the same thing)...
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-18-2005
In reply to: sdearest
Wed, 01-04-2006 - 9:31pm
You're gonna need to explain more. What is the nature of the relationship? Is it exclusive? For how long? Or if not, are you friends or more than friends or what?
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-17-2002
In reply to: sdearest
Wed, 01-04-2006 - 9:49pm
From what I can tell, you have communicated a time or two with these guys and you go online and are checking your account and don't commuincate with them even though you see them online but are communicating with other people? Whew. OK, no. You are not "online cheating". You are free to communicate with as many people and even see as many people as you would like until you start dating someone exclusively. You should assume they are doing the same and that (not to be mean in saying this) that you might not even be their first choice. You have to get over that guilty feeling as so many online communications never even turn into a meet much less a relationship. It's a numbers game as I am sure you've seen someone say out here and the more you communicate, the better chance you have of meeting the right person.

131.gif image by y_baros th5K.gif image by jade_simo

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-01-2006
In reply to: sdearest
Wed, 01-04-2006 - 10:42pm
Yes - you hit the nail on the head - we are just communicating - not even close to being exclusive and sometimes not even met yet. Thanks for your response.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-22-2005
In reply to: sdearest
Thu, 01-05-2006 - 9:06am
You're not committed to these people. There's no reason to feel guilty.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-24-2004
In reply to: sdearest
Thu, 01-05-2006 - 9:42pm

At least with Yahoo, you can choose to hide your online status from others. You just click a button in your Yahoo profile that you set up when you signed up for e-mail.

That way you can be online, but they don't know it.

I don't know if the other providers allow for this.

T