How The Internet Is Affecting Relationships In Uganda

A few years back I started using the Internet and I mainly surfed the internet for music, games and a little online dating (like some of you, please don’t judge), this was before Facebook because I remember looking for Pen pals as a way of connecting with people outside my country, Yahoo was King back in those days and Internet Cafes overcharged for their services, does anyone still remember Adult Friend finder?

Well along came Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Whatsapp and everything we knew about Internet changed. We connect instantly and we share with our friends just about anything. We are instantly connected to each other and it doesn’t matter anymore, whether you are miles away from your partner or you are planning a weekend off to go bungee Jumping with them, everything is just readily available for you in an app and at very high speeds thanks to the improved Internet speeds.

Fast Forward, I have asked a few of my followers on social media to talk to me about how the internet has affected their love lives and I have got some amazing responses which I want to share with you, but keep in mind the names used here may not be the actual names of the contributors of these comments.

Clive:

Most importantly the internet has got me closer to the person I love. Communication is almost on a daily basis because of the internet. Not just talking but what to talk about as well. so yeah, it’s partly positively affected me.

Dorothy:

The internet has in no way affected my love life because I don’t believe in finding love online. My interactions on the internet are strictly on a casual and friendly level.

Kenneth:

My life on the internet or social media to be particular is completely different from the life I live so in that case I’ve two breakups because of social media Twitter to be particular, though one of them I met her on social media still. The other thing is that I met the person who has given me the best sex ever online.

Tracey:

the internet helped me while I was in a long distance relationship it’s a cheap and easy way to keep in touch however my BF used to get jealous if I posted photos of me and other guys and sometimes it’s hard to resist the urge to cyber stalk your exes, making it hard to move on to a healthy relationship.

Nakamoto:

Can’t complain. Have had good times. Problem is people know me as the internet person but I am almost different when I am offline. Some say that I am intimidating and always cautious whenever we meet in real life. That is the only issue, really. All in all, I have met good people, psychos and the like.

Paddy:

At times I feel good searching for things I really want to explore deep over the internet but with social sites like Facebook I always get disgusted especially when I see my GF’s posts for everything that happens in our love life but in general I find the internet a good thing in my daily life as even my academics 45% of its accomplishment is with the help of internet.

Kidd:

Love life, like love with another human being? lol 😉 love with other things? Yap! I mean the girls around you are already too much to handle, why get extra trouble with the ones who take theirs online. That’s insane. So no thank you, there are better things to do with the internet other than the “selfish” proclamation in the names of love. You know them 😉

Prossy:

I don’t have a love life because I have the internet. I don’t need one.

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Desire:

It has made it very easy to tell lies. I was dating this guy but i wasnt so much into him. I was dating him bse he had the dough. So he was out of the country for along time and am supposed to wait for him to come back. Hmmmm i could not do that but to get the dough i had to show him am interested. so i send him pics, videos, lovely messages. i just have to pretend for a few minutes per day and then am done. So cheating has been made very easy.

Beewol:

For starters, the internet has made me more aware that the world is more dangerously interconnected that we earlier thought. when you are in a relationship with someone, she could be chatting with 16 other guys – some of whom could be your close buddies. But that should not stop you from being the best guy can be when you have the chance. She settled for you and not them so you may as well appreciate that. It has also taught me that love can be really blissful if you let it be. Very many stories are shared online about how couples truly and honestly love each other inspite of everything. I too aspire to be one such person – someone who loves without limit. The sad and bitter fact though is that the internet always asks you the question ‘Don’t you think you can do better?’ And naturally, it goes ahead to answer by showing you 100 awesome possibilities out there. It takes a really focussed and serious person to not venture out there when in a relationship. The internet very readily offers options – awesome juicy and readily available options. I have learnt over time that the internet is a little like alcohol; it brings out certain bits and pieces of us that we pretend we are not. For instance if you are a one-woman-man, the internet makes you more of that as it takes you through various tests and trials. When you emerge unscathed, it proves that you are actually a very strong person. However, if you are not a promiscous person, you will spend half your life responding to message from random females on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus and elsewhere and the other half of your life wasting away in promiscuity. Focus is the name of the game. Did the internet help me meet females? Definitely. Did it help me find a partner to date? Hell no. I would only date someone after knowing and fully appreciating their life outside the internet. If it is worthwhile, then that is worth a try. If her life outside the internet is lacking, then that is a Hell no. Simple. 

Whether it’s a long distance relationship or it’s meeting someone new online, the internet has in some way affected the lives we leave. You can still let us know how you feel about the internet and love life here, and a special thanks to everyone who helped contribute to this article.