Electronic love letters, net sex and friendships galore.

Is there more you can ask for from your friendly college computer?

When I first came to Iowa State I had no idea what the Internet was all about or what it could do for me. I guess it was pretty lucky I ended up with a roommate who had an infatuation with computers and was able to teach me all about the wonders of being connected to an electronic world.

At least I thought I was pretty lucky—until I was sucked in.

My friends tried to warn me. They said it would happen, as some of them were true survivors of the Internet. They knew what was to come, but they also smiled and laughed at the thought of it. And then, quite swiftly, it was too late, and I was swallowed up.

There is a thing on the internet called ISCA. It’s easily described as a large hangout place for those who want to talk to others across the nation from the comfort of their computer screen. To some, it’s a singles bar where people go to pick one another up and try to live out their interesting fantasies with a faceless person, to others it’s just a friendly escape.

My downfall started with ISCA.

Once I was plugged into this vast wasteland, there was no stopping me. It was a powerful force, capable of keeping me on-line for countless hours in a row, making sure my homework never was finished.

I was able to talk to people all over the world on ISCA, and I was so very intrigued by this fact. I was broadening my horizons and shrinking the world all at once, and it seemed great to me.

I made very close friends on ISCA over time. Even though I had never seen these people with my own eyes, it was as if we had always been hanging out. There was always someone there who knew my problems, my aspirations and everything cool going on in my life.

There was one college-aged woman in particular I was really bonding with. She was totally awesome. Her typing skills were refined, she had the funkiest tastes in music of anyone I had ever known, and we always agreed on important worldly issues.

I had to meet her. I had to know what she was really like.

A few times before I decided to get together with people I had talked to on ISCA, and it had always turned into a bad situation. People like to paint different pictures of themselves over the computer. Sometimes they’re a little bit crazy or sometimes just plain scary, but once in a while they are just totally cool.

So I decided to take a chance.

I called up my ISCA friend and we decided to meet over winter break, and I was going to stay with her at her house with her roommates for a week.

When I finally ended up meeting her, it was totally shocking. Almost everything I had envisioned her to be in my mind was wrong. But she was still as cool as I had figured her to be.

She had a big messy room, lots of wild friends and knew all the cool things to do. I learned a lot while hanging out with her.

She taught me how to make tomato soup taste delicious and showed me how to play Donkey Kong Country.

One of her friends introduced me to the seedy side of town.

And one of her roommates explained to me why never to call phone sex numbers, and had the $100 phone bill to back his words up.

All in all, I really gained a lot by meeting my ISCA friend. It was surely an adventure I will never be able to forget.

I really don’t think it is probably the best idea to go off and meet people you have talked to over the computer, and I don’t think everyone should go out and do it right this second, but it really can place upon you a new perspective of life.

Computers and the Internet have the potential to be a powerful force. Get connected if you’re not.

Lately, however, I have actually been able to tear myself away from the addictive Internet. I no longer spend hours upon hours talking to mysterious people and putting off my responsibilities. I guess I had to grow up a little bit more since last year.

Or maybe it’s just that some of the charm has been lost from it all. I don’t know.

But just a few days ago I found myself back on ISCA, and surprisingly enough my friend who I had visited was also on line. We talked for a little while about life and what’s been going on, since we haven’t really been in touch since we got together last year.

After we ended our conversation around three in the morning, I felt really good.

Behind all those 🙂 smiley figures, there really is someone worth smiling about.

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Aaron Barstow is a former Internet junkie who would like to thank his favorite photographer and stylist.