No Evidence That Online Gambling Creates More Problem Gamblers

Americans Giving Up Sex for Interneting? Not Quite as Bad As It Sounds...

from the isn't-that-what-the-internet-is-for dept

Thu, Sep 20th 2007 8:02am — Dennis Yang

New technologies, from email to Blackberries, are often blamed for everything from failed marriages to bad sex lives. A recent study claims that a large percentage of Americans are spending less time having sex due to the amount time they spend on the Internet. However, reading past the publicity grabbing headline, the truth may be less alarming. Sure, Americans are reducing the amount of face-to-face time they spend with their friends, but they are replacing it (and other non-interactive activities like newspaper reading and television watching) with time on the Internet. They may spend less time face-to-face, but the net amount of time spent interacting with other people is increased. The statement made by the director of the study that "I don't suppose their partners are too pleased about it" is short sighted -- the assumption that only one of the partners is online is a bit antiquated. Perhaps both partners are actually quite enjoying their time online, and perhaps that time is even spent online with each other.

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Filed Under: internet, sex

31 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2007 @ 8:30am

quality time with the spouse in wow. its a pretty decent leisure activity for couples
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- Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2007 @ 10:41am
  
  Re:
  I have to agree, my spouse and I LOVE playing WoW with each other... real quality time. Screw diamonds...buy her an epic!
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  - Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2007 @ 12:20pm
    
    Re: Re:
    I have to agree. My wife and I both play wow and spend most of the time sitting side by side playing. It's no different then watching TV or playing Monopoly... except that it is a lot more fun and we actually interact.
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I, 20 Sep 2007 @ 8:31am

LOL
they are too busy watching internet p*^n. HAHAH AH AAH AHA AHA HAHAA
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The Man, 20 Sep 2007 @ 8:32am

How Sad
people finding the internet so interesting that they spend time together on the internet. What a sad depressing world that would be. I do not know any well adjusted, successful, good looking people who spend a lot of time on the internet except for work, occassional shopping and of course a little bit of porn now and then.
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- Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2007 @ 8:36am
  
  Re: How Sad
  wtf is the difference between that and playing a board game or watching tv together?
  
  I think the only people you know are your fat nerd friends and your imaginary winner friends who dont sully themselves with the internet like your self-loathing self does. Quit your fantasy.
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  - The Man, 20 Sep 2007 @ 9:37am
    
    Re: Re: How Sad
    No fantasy here my friend. I would post a picture of myself sipping Sherry at my country club, but you would just fall in love with me and I would have yet another stalker. Just not worth it.
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    - Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2007 @ 10:14am
      
      Re: Re: Re: How Sad
      Dude, Sherry is nasty. Gross.
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      - lizard, 20 Sep 2007 @ 12:39pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: How Sad
        sure, sherry is gross. but sipping it at country clubs is pretentious. and pretentious is way worse than gross.
        
        and the internet actually expands sexual possibilities, if you know how to use it right. the interweb is a great place for fantasy & reality to intersect in ways that were just not possible back in the pre-internet era. trust me, i know this personally.
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    - Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2007 @ 10:28am
      
      Re: Re: Re: How Sad
      I guess well adjusted, successful, beautiful people are permitted to go online for work, occasional shopping, a bit of porn, and for trolling and keeping up to date with all your trolling threads. Judging from your 1hr post delay I estimate you're trolling on about 20 threads right now.
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    - Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2007 @ 10:30am
      
      Re: Re: Re: How Sad
      Why the F would you waste your time at a country club? Blech.
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    - Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2007 @ 10:55am
      
      Re: Re: Re: How Sad
      lolol?
      
      Quite a big ego you have there. Not big enough of an e-peen, huh?
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2007 @ 8:42am

how naive can you be... do you have any idea how much time people spend on the internet for the sole purpose of having sex, WITH THEMSELVES.
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J, 20 Sep 2007 @ 8:51am

Hey honey I'm in the mood - Not now I am busy watching the internet... So people believe this?
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Drewfus, 20 Sep 2007 @ 9:00am

NGA? Get off your keyboard and go to bed!
Nuf said!
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doug m, 20 Sep 2007 @ 9:04am

if someone told me they were on the internet and were too busy for sex, i'd probably just go find someone who wasn't so busy
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2007 @ 9:40am

This is a bit of a stretch to say they're interacting more with people. I know when I'm on the internet I'm not interacting more with people. If I'm on the internet I'm reading my news and I'm sure theres many others who do the same. Therefore how is that really interacting with anyone?
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JimO, 20 Sep 2007 @ 10:00am

lame
consider the spike in dating due to the internet, the social networking previously never available, the personal link created by instant communication from practically anywhere in the world...

anyone not understanding the huge impact of the internet on the human race is a luddite, and fortunately will be replaced by more intelligent people within a few generations... which is not fast enough for my taste.
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PS, 20 Sep 2007 @ 10:26am

I have a hard time believing that one can enjoy spending time on the internet with one's spouse. I have been with my girlfriend for more than a year now, and while I enjoy talking to her on the phone and AIM or Myspace, being with her is infinitely more enjoyable. It makes her more real to me. She is a warm, living body, not a cold glass computer screen.
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triman, 20 Sep 2007 @ 10:38am

internet
I have actually had quite a bit of really good sex as a result of the time I spent on the internet.
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Gamer, 20 Sep 2007 @ 11:07am

Gaming
Just because a couple says they play WoW online doesnt mean they are in seperate rooms not talking to each, many actually have computers side by side and are talking during the time they are playing, in my opinion this is better than watching TV simplely because the couple is talking. If you ever play WoW you will find hundreds of couples that actually do this since it gives them time that they can talk, and something to do together.
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bob miramar from Trenton NJ, 20 Sep 2007 @ 11:08am

spanking it
I spend more time spanking it talking to my "virtual girl" than screwing my own wife! I love the internet!
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- bob miramar from Trenton NJ, 20 Sep 2007 @ 11:12am
  
  Re: spanking it
  Oh crap..... It posted my real name... and where I'm from.. My wife reads this forum too.. what have I done..
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DA, 20 Sep 2007 @ 11:23am

Internet has benefits
My spouse it often away on extended business trips. To make up for the time we can't physically spend together we play WOW. Coupling the game with a VOIP solution gives us a wonderful way to interact and minimize the distance and ease the transitions to when he is home or gone. The interaction in game has improved our communication and our ablity to act as a team/unit rather more so than sitting on our couch watching TV, going to a movie, going out to eat or virtually any of the "normal" forms of spending time together.
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GGB, 20 Sep 2007 @ 11:44am

The Interenet
never ever turns me down for sex ;p haha
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Mscsrrr.com (Internet power), 20 Sep 2007 @ 12:35pm

Americans Giving Up Sex for Interneting?
I don't believe this. It defies commmon sense. Internet and modern communication technologies have tremendously increased the communication capability of Americas. And when people communicate often, then meeting becomes common. The chances of having sex also increases. I can place an ad at two or three dating sites and instantly be able to meet at least 10 dates in a month. From the 10 dates, I should be able to find at least one person to develop a serious relationship with. So, my point is that internet has greatly empowered our communication capacity and relationships
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Oliver Widder, 20 Sep 2007 @ 2:47pm

Just a small cartoon about Blogger social life...
...see here .

Bye,
Oliver
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SteelBeach, 21 Sep 2007 @ 12:46am

Excellent...
This is great. I hope more people go for the "pron" instead of breeding. Biggest problem in this country is all the morons breeding at random.
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- Anonymous Coward, 24 Sep 2007 @ 9:47am
  
  Re: Excellent...
  Ironically, when people say things like "Biggest problem in this country is all the morons breeding at random"...often times the people using the statement are the ones who we wish their parents had restrained from creating.
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Me, 21 Sep 2007 @ 11:25pm

The Internet keeps my marriage going
My honey is on a 3-year assignment 3500 miles away, and we have vacations together maybe 3 times each year. We use the Internet many times every day for voice/video calls, photo/file exchange, managing the practical aspects of our lives and, yes, those special intimate moments. All for pennies a day.
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Adrian, 26 Sep 2007 @ 3:36am

Let's Get serious
It is stupid to give up sex because of Interneting. I would always rather have sex with the woman I love instead of browsing some Internet sites. Quality first and the quality time spent with my girlfriend is much better. On the other hand, if Internet is used in cases like number 29 above, I totally agree that it is a great solution to get technology to help. I know how you feel, I also am in a similar situation
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