Are affairs "real"? Are online relationships "real?"

Ya I know, sounds like a silly question.

I also put these together because I think these two questions overlap quite a bit.

I have a co-worker who is "dating" some guy she met on the internet. She hasn't met him in person yet. It's been over six months. Today when she was talking about her "boyfriend" I just told her point blank it's not a real relationship.

Often when infidelity experts challenge the legitimacy of affairs they will say something to the effect that infidelity relationships are pure fantasy. They aren't "real."

I have read similar criticisms about online relationships in general.

And yes, you can have an affair online, which crosses both questions into the same thing.

What makes an in-person relationship "real?
What makes an online relationship "not real?"
What makes an affair "not real?"

Is one more "real" than the other?

I had said to my co-worker that until she meets him in person, and they start doing things normal people do/used to do rather than playing on the computer, she's just living some silly fantasy.

She didn't like the sound of that.

I say too bad.

Put the internet to work for you.

via Personal Recipe 2629979