Getting romantically entangled with someone you met online has an allure and intensity the flesh-world simply doesn't match. Young was right when she said it can be like talking to yourself--imagine your journal not just talking back at the end of a journal entry, but asking what you're wearing and how you touch yourself. Human imagination is a powerful thing. We're able to read between the typed-out lines and insert our own fantasies. In the nineties, a computer in your living room contained a bottomless social pool where everyone could fit in and anyone could be the love of your life, waiting behind the next chat prompt. It's no wonder people felt "addicted".
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There's an entire cottage industry of female Xellenial legacy print media journalists writing already-outdated and superficial books about the internet for their nearly octogenarian audiences. Maybe I'm being uncharitable though. Do they touch on MindGeek's nearly complete market capture, the unnatural rise of OF, porn sites being banned overseas, covid, teledildonics, AI partners, et al?
No you're probably right about that. There is a whole market for different explainer books for people not as familiar with different aspects of the Internet. They did cover most of the topics you've mentioned. They did discuss Mind Geek basically gaining control over the industry (and I'm surprised I neglected to include that in my review as I was planning to). They spoke a little bit about OF, but I did pan over that pretty quickly because I feel like they were going in directions with it that was boring me to sleep (I might have to revisit though just to make sure). I didn't see anything about porn sites being banned overseas, and the teledildonics and AI partners aspect I did see but it didn't really catch my interest.