Man spends $100/month for FAKE girlfriend - Has technology gone too far?

'There's never really any hot stuff ... for most of the time it's the sort of thing you'd find in any regular relationship.'

QUICK, turn to me, pity me, alone and wretched as I am! - Psalms 25:16

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - God did not create us to be alone, yet thousands of people around the world are forced to turn toward artificial intelligence for relationships and meaningful social interaction.

According to "a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/snapchat-iphone-relationships-men-who-pay-to-have-a-pretend-girlfriend-a7355101.html">Independent, one man admitted he spends up to 1,000 pounds annually for a "fake girlfriend."

The 28-year-old who preferred to be described only as Ben, admitted he pays an average of $100 each month for a fake girlfriend to sent him pictures, messages and emails.

He found a minor Snapchat star who was willing to send him simple messages and pictures in exchange for money.

Ben explained he pays for a girlfriend simply because he doesn't have time to physically meet someone. He stated: "In the morning I could get a Snapchat selfie with 'good morning baby' written on it, later in the day she might message me on Kik about how her day at work has been. It's not crazy stuff.

"If she's come down with strep I'll know about it, if she's got a headache she tells me, and if she's out partying I get Snapchats that no-one else sees. There's never really any hot stuff...for most of the time it's the sort of thing you'd find in any regular relationship."

Ben claims the ability to message her and receive a response gives him a sense of closeness and he admitted to feeling genuinely toward the part-time model.

"I don't think it's as strange as it first sounds," he said. "It's a connection."

When asked how he feels about his "girlfriend" messaging other men for money, he admitted, "I don't really go down that route."

While many might claim the "relationship" is a reflection of Ben's inability to engage face-to-face, the truth is far more intricate.

The sorry state of relationships has been found, in part, to be a direct consequence of social media surges.

Why make friends and have face-to-face relationships when you can simply log into Facebook, Snapchat, Kik or other social applications?

According to the Webby Media Group, 85 percent of millennials between 18 and 34 use the internet to shop and 93 percent use smartphones while in bed.

David-Michel Davies, the group chief executive of Webby Media, shared: "Looking at culture, there is a dominant topic on the impact of technology. Movies like 'Her' and television shows like 'Black Mirror' prove that theory."

"Her" is a film about a man engaging in a romantic relationship with an AI unit and "Black Mirror" is a British TV show that analyzes modern society and the unexpected consequences of new technology.

Webby Media conducted a small online survey of 2,000 US-based entries.

Three elements were viewed in the survey:

• Work
• Relationships
• Self

Nearly 3 of 4 adults surveyed admit their jobs will be affected due to technology's exponential advancement, with 77 percent admitting their inability to keep up will make them less likely to be hired.

Meanwhile, 9 of 10 people from the younger generations believe the Internet will provide a wider range of jobs they feel they are qualified to excel in.

When it comes to relationships, 73 percent of women believe technology makes romantic relationships less authentic and 71 percent of men agree.

Thirty-seven percent of men and women agree technological advancements can help them build deeper relationships and over 1/3 of younger generations claim a relationship was ended due to technology or social media.

Seventy percent of all adults admitted it was difficult to avoid looking at their phones when it rings or vibrates, which makes it more difficult to focus on anything else.

Perhaps for this reason, 67 percent of adults say they do not use their phones at all during family meals and 65 percent refuse to use their phones in workplace meetings.

Technology has become so invasive that more and more people are suffering debilitating loneliness.

Researchers revealed the negative effects of prolonged loneliness, which includes physical illness and mental decline.

John Cacioppo, the director of the University of Chicago's Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience, explained: "Denying you feel lonely makes no more sense than denying you feel hunger," yet people are less inclined to admit they feel alone.

Instead, they turn to artificial intelligence or Snapchat stars for comfort.

Apps like Invisible Girlfriend and KARI the Virtual Girlfriend, have become more and more popular for lonely men while marriage rates decline.

In fact, a recent Pew Report revealed the number of never-been-married Americans at 25-years-old is at an all-time high.

Can we truly blame technology for the decline in personal relationships? With online affairs at an all-time high, perhaps it should be.

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