While the global messaging possibilities made available by e-mail and Internet access can put us in touch with fellow humans the world over, many of us are finding ourselves left feeling lonely and isolated by the rush and brevity of electronic exchanges.

Furthermore, the anonymity of chat rooms, and e-groups can lead to a tendency to embellish the truth, or even invent a different identity altogether, with many chatters around the world re-inventing themselves from their income to their vital statistics up. In some cases the difference between invented Internet personas and the factual truth of an individual can lead to unwelcome self-concept issues and further social withdrawal as the Internet image pulls from social reality into an isolated realm of keyboard, screen and preferred self.

Get Real

Paul receives a text message from a friend saying