Réseaux amoureux sur Internet

It is often thought that conversations on the Internet are a locus of simulation, of cheating. Another characteristic, studied in this article, stems from the absence of bodies in the expression of emotions. Based on a study undertaken primarily on dating sites in the US, the author considers the way in which emotions can be transmitted on line. She explores the manner in which technology re-articulates them with corporeal reality. Her conclusion is that while traditional romantic relationships combine reality and imagination, on-line relationships uncouple the two and, paradoxically, make face-to-face contact indispensable.