By Delilah P. Valentin

Meeting someone online could lead to sex faster? Studies prove this to be a fact.

Four out of five women and three out of five men believe social networking such as Facebook leads to sex faster among new couples, according to a survey completed by Shape and Men’s fitness magazines that made national headlines in March.

Many couples start from social networking sites. The virtual conversations lead people to believe they are building an actual relationship with someone, causing new couples to jump into bed a lot faster.

Nearly 38 percent of women admit to sleeping with a date sooner because of digital intimacy, according to the survey.

Mercy student Tatiana Hlivova made a connection through Myspace with her now fiancé and partner for five years.

“My relationship with my fiancé started online. Most relationships that are online lead to sex faster with the person only because you’ve been dying to meet with them and then next thing you know, you have a sexual relationship rather than just dating,”

states Hlivova.

Nearly 70 percent of women and 63 percent of men use the internet to screen potential dates, said the study.

Men seem to be comfortable with the idea of meeting up with women they have never met on the internet and having sex with them on their very first day of meeting.

In the case of alumna Carlene Richard’s friend, this wasn’t such a pleasant encounter.

“ I have one male friend who chatted with someone on Myspace and set up a meeting within a week. He went to her house for the first meeting to have sex. She turned out to be a transsexual,” said Richards. “Nothing happened but confusion.

Social networking and technology have become a way for people to hookup. Nearly 65 percent of people say they have been asked out by text and 49 percent state they have been asked out through a Facebook message.

The idea of personal interaction to build an attraction is quickly dwindling, the survey suggests. People are looking at pictures on profiles and becoming attracted to what they appear to be in the virtual world. The attraction is not very emotional but rather more physical, which explains the need for physical contact when they do meet up in person.

With instant messaging, Facebook, and Twitter, social networks make it easy and free for people to communicate and get to know one another without spending time or money.

Texting is now the most common form of interaction between couples not living together, said the survey. In fact, new devices such as smart phones have led to men texting nearly 40 percent more than calling, while women text nearly four times as much as men, said the survey.

And passion doesn’t even slow down the forms of communication, as five percent state they have checked text messages while in the middle of romance.

Social networking is now being used to end relationships as well, as nearly 43 percent of women and 27 percent of men have “dumped” someone via a text, Twitter or Facebook message.

The survey states that nearly 70 percent of women use the social sites to see pictures of mates ex-partners. Most polled stated that they will not “de-friend” someone when they break up, and 75 percent will continue to “check up” on ex flames.