Chatting Rooms for the Married

Law criminalizing adultery is no longer unconstitutional in Korea and has  received  a great deal of comment in the press and among citizens. A  religious sister in a With Bible article, uses the words  of a woman  in her forties: "Why marry?  Living by oneself is so pleasant. Marriage is binding,  we can love and live alone." 'Neither a father or a husband' is a popular SNS internet novel that many find good reason to not want to marry, and in the comments show their enthusiasm and agreement.

Numbers of those living alone increase daily;  living alone is not lonely but  peaceful. With the  social network one feels connected with others even though living alone. The social network has become the refuge for the lonely and a way to eradicate loneliness. We try to  avoid  loneliness by  buying  fun and love. The efforts to expel the loneliness  does not work--only temporary relief. We spend more time and want more stimulation, and  become  slaves.

Sherry Turkel,  social psychologist,  says that our expectations from  technology are increasing and our  trust on  people decreasing.  We are using  technology more to take care  of ourselves  than to help us to relate with others. Technology has promised us comfort and freedom and instead  imprisons us. We are using the technology to communicate love and friendship but instead of making us more peaceful we are becoming lonelier and confused.

Greek mythology  has the talkative  Echo and  self-loving Narcissus whose inability to make their love a reality ends tragically for both. In the SNS  world  we have many Echos and Narcissuses who want to make themselves known with their selfies and self-praises. 

More than any time in the past we enjoy more freedom but are we more free? Freed from the  taboos about sex and bodily pleasures, are we less lonely? Fast food, booze, games, drama, gambling,  lottery, many temptations  but are we more fulfilled?  With the advance of technology we are more comfortable but are we less tired?  

Unfortunately, our quality of life is decreasing, our thinking more superficial, and our memories   poorer. In the digital age we have anxiety disorders, obsessions and depression, that many have to  deal with. In Korea we have large numbers who have no reason to live, more communication but more alone,  more things to enjoy but lonelier. 

Love for a Christian is not something that is instantaneous, but takes a great deal of effort. God takes the initiative  and is leading the couple. Purity is an important virtue of those marrying. She mentions in conclusion the large number of married people who are entering chatting rooms. What should  Christians make of this? Aren't our neighbors those that are the closest to us- family members? Aren't they the ones we want to communicate with at a deep level? She concludes the article with the words: "Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may judge what is God's  will, what is good, pleasing and perfect" (Rom. 12:2).