Well, it's close enough. According to a recent study by Edward Smith, a cognitive neuroscientist at Columbia University in New York, being rejected in an online computer game could elicit "tepid feelings of rejection," Fox News reports. Though, the findings did help Smith find a link between romantic rejection and actual physical pain. Smith conducted a follow-up study using functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI. But did it trigger a similar response?

This technology visualized the pain receptors in the brains of 40 volunteers when looking at photographs of partners they had broke it off with. As a result, the fMRI lit up like Christmas tree when folks looked at photos of old flames. So when a FarmVille friend removes you, it might not sting as badly--or just stir some Internet rage. Regardless, the brain could still respond the same way as when rejected by a lover, though to a lesser degree. The next time you remove a friend from CityVille, try letting them down easy, eh?

[Via Kotaku]

[Image Credit: Game Casa]

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