I need help finding a word, or possibly group of words, that describes a certain condition. If such a word does not exist, help me create one. I am writing a story that uses this particular condition and I need a suitable word to use to describe it.
In my scenario, a guy looks through video blogs on the internet, like you find on YouTube and Stickam. These vlogs are done by women that catch his interest. He is not looking for a date, he is not trying to start any kind of romantic or serious relationship, and he is only curious and enjoys watching and being entertained by their videos. These are clean videos, now people – no showing or porn. He does not intend to ever meet these women – just looking for friends.
After a while, he contacts the women by IM or email, and tries to become more of a friend than a subscriber. What he tries to start with them is more of an internet pen pal relationship. Although the women like him and enjoy his messages and stories, they are not interested in getting to know him better and seldom reply to his messages, if not completely ignoring him altogether.
More simply put, the guy just picks out the wrong women. They are always someone that catches his fancy, but does not reciprocate. Any of his friends could tell him that he always goes for the unattainable type, but he never sees it until it is too late and he is hurt by their apathy or inattention.
The condition I wish to describe is someone who has developed a pattern for this behavior, and continued to fall into the trap of it. Although this same thing happens in real life, I think there should be a separate term for it when it always happens in the virtual world of the internet. With all the social networks available nowadays on the web, there should be a word to describe this very scenario when it takes place in cyberspace.
You know how when you go to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, and people stand up and say to the group “My name is Joe, and I am an alcoholic.” I am looking for the word or phrase that would sound right if you went to a support group for “habitually choosing improper women to like on the internet”.
Pick a famous character who exhibits the same traits (like George from seinfeld perhaps) and use that - people should get the reference if the character is well-known enough.
I’m not sure it’s really fair to compare the two. Not all women who post videos and blogs are comfortable with the idea of maintaining friendships or starting real-life relationships with their online fans or friends. No matter how charming the guy seems to be. Nothing to do with batting out of one’s e-league, it’s just a comfort thing. It doesn’t help that if a blogger is young and attractive and this is known, she probably gets undeniably stalkerish messages and lumps this guy’s stuff in with them, just to be safe.
ETA I like Picardkillskirk’s iGroupie or eGroupie, too, for the general phenomenon. Or maybe a word for that exists already? Blogger groupie = bloopie?
The term Loser is what first comes to mind, but it also fits a wide variety of things and is not specific enough for my use.
iGroupie or eGroupie fits it better, I think.
Cat Fight described it well. “Not all women who post videos and blogs are comfortable with the idea of maintaining friendships or starting real-life relationships with their online fans or friends. No matter how charming the guy seems to be. Nothing to do with batting out of one’s e-league, it’s just a comfort thing. It doesn’t help that if a blogger is young and attractive and this is known, she probably gets undeniably stalkerish messages and lumps this guy’s stuff in with them, just to be safe.”
You described the condition my charactor is in, and worded it better than I did.
As for calling it Stanger Syndrome, well, I can relate to it to some extent. Though the story I am writing is not autobiographical, I do have some familiarity with the symptoms.
Cybersociorejectism is also a good substitution as a technical term.