Repeated Online Sexual Engagement and Compulsive Behavior
According to researchers, individuals who spend significant amounts of time engaged in online sexual activities may develop a sense of compulsion around these behaviors. This can manifest in various ways, such as an inability to control one's urges to participate in online sexual activity despite negative consequences, such as neglecting important responsibilities or spending excessive amounts of money on virtual services.
This compulsion may lead to changes in relational scripts, causing individuals to prioritize their online sexual interactions over real-life relationships and socializing.
Some studies suggest that prolonged engagement in online sexual behavior can result in emotional dependency on the other person involved, leading to feelings of attachment and neediness.
It is clear that repeated online sexual engagement can have serious consequences for an individual's well-being, both psychologically and socially.
Changes in Relational Scripts
Online sexual engagement has been found to change how individuals perceive and approach romantic and sexual relationships.
Individuals may come to expect a certain level of intimacy and intensity from online encounters that are difficult to replicate in real life. This can cause them to become dissatisfied with their offline relationships, which may lead to increased isolation and loneliness. In addition, frequent engagement in online sexual activity may make it more difficult for individuals to maintain healthy boundaries between fantasy and reality, potentially leading to confusion about what constitutes appropriate behavior in real-world settings. These changes in relational scripts can be particularly harmful if they interfere with an individual's ability to form meaningful connections with others.
Emotional Dependency
Research suggests that individuals who regularly engage in online sexual activities may develop strong emotional attachments to the people they interact with online. This can lead to feelings of intense longing or jealousy when these individuals are not available or responsive.
This emotional dependence may cause individuals to prioritize their online interactions over other aspects of their lives, such as work or family obligations. The resulting sense of urgency and desperation can be emotionally taxing and may even contribute to negative self-image issues.
It is important to note that emotional dependency is not unique to online sexual engagement and can occur in any relationship.
Can repeated online sexual engagement lead to compulsive behavior, altered relational scripts, and emotional dependency?
Research suggests that engaging in frequent virtual sex may be associated with an increased likelihood of developing problematic patterns of sexual behavior such as compulsivity, addiction, and emotional dependence (Durham et al. , 2018).