Age and the internet

If I tried to engage a young woman in conversation in real world I would almost certainly be viewed with serious suspicion. What on earth could a man of my age have in common with a woman in her twenties or even worse, in her late teens? The reality is, very little, on a normal face to face basis. At best I would be humoured until she could beat a hasty retreat, at worst there could be mace spray and a swift kick in the goolies.

This is where the internet turns reality on its head. When I look through the list of my 400 or so followers (and followed) it embraces all ages and sex. The beauty of the internet is that you form an opinion of a person without the distraction of personal prejudice and physical appearance. In most cases I haven't known at first whether a poster is male or female, never mind young, or ancient like me. There are actually a handful still where I don't know anything about them including sex as the name or avatar gives no clues.

This virtual anonymity is very liberating. It allows you to make friends with a whole raft of people that could never happen in reality. I say "friends" but that description doesn't adequately reflect the on line relationships. You are not really friends with anyone until it is removed from the virtual world and brought into reality. I have had "friends" on forums, some I have met up with but none which have lasted. On line friendships are transient and should be viewed as such. I am not saying that good long term relationships cannot happen from initial on line contact, just that they are less likely.

Once I have realised that a follower is young, I do take care what I write directly to them. I may well be a dirty old man but I prefer to keep it as quiet as possible.