I’m an old-fashioned gal-I believe in values, tradition, boy-meets-girl-across-a-crowded-room-fall-in-love-get-married-and-live-happily-ever-after and communicating with 40 page letters which friends have to take a day off work for to read. But, seeing we’re in the “age of technology” even I had to bend to internet and emails. Once I’d conquered them, I was ready to move up to “The Chat”. So I signed up for an account with a popular chat site to see what all the fuss was about.The first message that came up asked me if I wanted cam sex … (what??). The second said “Hi” but the profile picture was of a penis… the third and fourth started off with small talk which then lead to “fancy having some fun?”. I was just about to give up when I encountered a guy who seemed nice, all the time I waited for the inevitable … which never arrived! So I figured this chat game could actually turn out fun. So when I’m bored and have nothing to do and can’t sleep, I log in just to see who’s around as, over the months, I’ve met some really interesting people from all over the world. I say people… in reality I’ve always felt like I’m just chatting to my computer and it takes on a different personality each time and writes back in character… As I’m just talking to my friend, The Computer, my good manners and delicacy go out the window-it’s like a mask. No one knows who anyone is and everyone becomes their alter ego. So when, on one of my chats to a guy I’d got to know over some time, he became pissed at a very indelicate statement I made, I didn’t know how to take it. My computer’s getting mad at me??! I came down to earth with a bump and realised-there are actually people on the other side of my screen-people who feel, and who get pissed at indelicate statements. I can’t be the only one whose personality alters in front of her laptop and as this chat game seems to have taken over how people meet, what happens when 2 people who have been communicating over a screen-2 alter egos playing a game-come face to face in reality? Do people who regularly chat leave a margin for “normality”? And, in reality…which is the real Us-the person we show behind a screen or the one we present face to face?