Study reveals net cheats
Correspondents in Melbourne
JUNE 07, 2006
THINK your partner is playing checkers online, or emailing the in-laws? Think again.
Melbourne's Swinburne University has studied the number of Australian internet users who go online to make friends and meet new people, and those who also admit to "cyber cheating".
The university conducted a phone survey of just over 1,000 people, which found that almost 80 per cent had used the internet and 13 per cent of these had formed an "online social relationship".
"Equal proportions of single and partnered individuals admitted they had experienced online romance, indicating that many cyber daters may be cyber cheating," the report says.
"It appears the internet is replacing traditional routes to friendship and romance."
The report said no single type of internet user emerged as most likely to be involved in an online romance, as they "spanned all age, gender, political and religious groups".
Cyber daters included married people, or those in a de facto relationship, and many also had children.
"Online romantics were as likely to be living with their partner (40.9 per cent - married or defacto) as to be single (45.5 per cent)," the report says.
"They were equally likely to have no children (50 per cent) or have up to two children (50 per cent)."
The report found cyber romances were also likely to spill over into real life.
"Most met their cyber partner face-to-face, on many occasions, and relationships tended to be lasting," the report said.
The results are found in the Finding Love Online: The Nature and Frequency of Australian Adults' Internet Relationships report, by the university's senior lecturer in psychology Elizabeth Hardie.
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,19392392%5E15306%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html
