A chat room is a way of conferencing with another person or a group of people online. This is accomplished with instant-messaging or text-messaging technology. Video cameras attached to the computer can also be used in chat room communications. Visual chat rooms may use added graphics with 2D or 3D virtual reality technology.

Chat rooms are prime targets for the initiation of cybersex. Can chat rooms be addictive? Yes, in the same way that other behaviors can become addictive. What are some of the warning signs? Here are a few:

• A chat room addict will find herself giving more personal details in chat rooms than she intended.

• Even when not in a chat room, a person will fantasize about chat room interactions.

• A person's sleep and eating behaviors will be disrupted because of time spent in the chat room.

• Real-life relationships suffer because of inordinate amounts of time spent in chat rooms.

• A chat room addict will become defensive and irritable when confronted about the time she spends on the computer.

Chat rooms, like cybersex, provide the illusion of safety and anonymity. Again, one must be careful of online predators and the personal risks of chat room addiction, such as job loss, lost relationships, and damage to one's personal health.