Congratulations on publication of your book! I read the recent review in the NYT until I got to the spoiler alert, when I simply bought the kindle version of the book.
I read the book in less than 2 days and found it interesting and therapeutic. While I wasn’t catfished or emotionally abused to that extent, I was involved in an intense virtual relationship for about 3 months with a man that failed to meet me, and reading the experiences of three other intelligent women who were being used and exploited was familiar and insightful.
I hope this opens the necessary conversation of how we use virtual platforms to create intimacy and connection; how virtual platforms affect IRL connections (by initiating, sustaining, or substituting emotional bonds); how can we destigmatize cyber abuse so that victims can get support to heal; and how do we get the law to address online/virtual manipulative and abusive behaviors for the unethical and sometimes criminal acts they are.
Congratulations on publication of your book! I read the recent review in the NYT until I got to the spoiler alert, when I simply bought the kindle version of the book.
I read the book in less than 2 days and found it interesting and therapeutic. While I wasn’t catfished or emotionally abused to that extent, I was involved in an intense virtual relationship for about 3 months with a man that failed to meet me, and reading the experiences of three other intelligent women who were being used and exploited was familiar and insightful.
I hope this opens the necessary conversation of how we use virtual platforms to create intimacy and connection; how virtual platforms affect IRL connections (by initiating, sustaining, or substituting emotional bonds); how can we destigmatize cyber abuse so that victims can get support to heal; and how do we get the law to address online/virtual manipulative and abusive behaviors for the unethical and sometimes criminal acts they are.
Thank you for sharing and for posing these important questions!