Online Dating: Do You Suffer From the Digital Pen-Pal Syndrome?

Being a digital pen-pal with someone you’ve met online isn’t something new. It’s been going on for decades since the days of the online chat rooms and before Match.com, OkCupid and eHarmony became house-hold words.

Whether you’re looking for Plan B and are still in a relationship, or are embarrassed about your looks while waiting to 10 lose pounds, without taking your relationship from online to offline, you’ll end up addicted to online dating and may even end up suffering from online dating fatigue.

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Falling in love from behind the keyboard is all-too-common.

Here are 5 Ways to know if you’re suffering from the digital pen-pal syndrome.

1. You log on daily and flirt or wink with other, but don’t actually read their profile or send an email.
2. You write back to potential suitors, but never make a phone date or schedule a date to meet in person.
3. You believe you’re in a relationship because you chat daily with the object of your affection who may live outside your geographic area.
4. You contact the same person to check in every few weeks to keep a digital toe in, but never allow the relationship to progress.
5. You claim you’re not technology savvy and don’t understand how to use Skype or FaceTime to take your digital relationship to the next level.

What should you do if you believe you’re in-a-relationship with someone who’s a digital pen-pal?

1. Ask yourself, do you really want to be in a relationship? After a few weeks or months, isn’t it in your best interest to meet in person?
2. Request a video chat with your online sweetheart. If they say no, move on to someone who is more available. Let them see the real you.
3. If you’re seeing someone at home and are flirting online in another zipcode or country, be honest with the person you’re chatting with so you don’t lead him or her on. Sometimes, you can just be friends, but you both need to be on the same digital page when it comes to matters of the heart.
4. Find mutual friends on Facebook or other social networks to make sure your digital pen-pal is who he or she really says they are. Check their relationship status as he or she just may be married or attached.
5. Don’t spend hours-and-hours on the phone daily falsely bonding with your digital sweetheart.
6. Take down your online dating profile if both of you decide you’re interested in pursuing the relationship further.

Being a digital pen-pal isn’t a bad thing, as long as it’s part of the overall courting process and you move to the next step.

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Have you ever been in a long-distance relationship with someone you’ve only met online?

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