We are online
It all starts with a sympathetic nickname. It is a simple word that grabs attention and leads the other side to reply with a smiley face. It is the start of a conversation between two people thousands of miles away from each other.
How tempted we are to greet whenever he/she comes online. How driven we are to read that simple “ahahaha” on our screens. Chatting online is a tricky monster and we love it.
Assuming Skype is not around; there is no face to face or the comfort of a voice. The smiley face, the winking eye, the tongue and the red angry head can only give us a glimpse of how he/she really feels. The same goes for us. Are we falling down the chair with laughter when we type “HAHAHAHAHAHA”? Does he/she really want to hit us after typing “grrrrrr”? We love to exaggerate online. We are more daring and adventurous than we usually are. We are born with multiple senses to efficiently communicate. Yet when we are chatting online, we desperately try to get the same results by using a single sense.
We are in different settings, but together. One side can be in the bathroom doing nature’s duty while the other side can be sipping champagne at a black tie event. Who knows? One can even be hooking up with an ex-partner while flirting with someone else online. There are always a lot of variables in online chatting, but somehow both parties find a common ground to get into some of the most satisfactory conversations.
All is on record. Whatever we type and enter is saved inside the ultra intelligent computer or mobile phone. It remembers everything even if we don’t. And one can always get a full record of the cyber relationship. It is a risk we all take. We try to think a minute more before we type in anything. We think of the future implications of our answers. We are more planned than we would ever be if were to meet face to face.
Timely response is not customary. Sometimes he/she will reply within seconds and other times there won’t be a response. There will be times when the other side will text and we will not be able to get back on time. One shouldn’t wonder why. It is in the nature of chatting online to overpower one side. Sometimes a proper “goodnight” is customary and other times one party will just sign off without giving a proper warning.
It usually ends without a warning. It could be a careless “byeee” or a long farewell. It is the end of a conversation between two people thousands of miles away from each other.