Couples get separated for a variety of reasons. Due to modern mobility, some people choose to maintain their relationships even when far apart—and others start relationships with people living miles apart from them. They rely on communication technologies to keep the relationship afloat.
Unlike before where communicating with loved ones was through the writing of letters and then phone calls, things are much easier now and have made long-distance relationships more common. The answer to why people (I know) have decided to give the long-distance relationship a try because is because of the sophistication in technology.
Even though, our culture (especially, when it involves married couples) emphasizes being together physically and frequent face-to-face contact for close relationships; long-distance relationships clearly stand against all these values. But others believe people should not be so pessimistic about long-distance romance.
Looking at communicating when in long-distance relationships, technology has really made it easier, skyping, texting, whatsapping etc., but does technology really ease the pressure on this type of relationship? Does technology establish the one ingredient needed in relationships – trust?
When you live with a person under the same roof, there may even be trust issues – how much more if the person is not around? We love to believe that we trust people we are with, but there’s always that little voice in our heads that the person living miles apart from you is not worth trusting.
Keeping Tabs on the person: Some people are not comfortable when being questioned about their whereabouts and we sometimes come into contact with people who like to know our itinerary from the moment we get out of bed in the morning until the time we retire back to bed. It is not a bad thing to know what the other person is up to but unfortunately, sometimes you get people who suffocate the living daylight out of you
A long distance relationship needs patience (and a lot of it) to make it work to how one wants it to be. When the duration of being apart gets much more longer and it become impossible to see the person, it puts a lot of strain on the already ‘trying’ relationship.
Personally, I think relationship thrives more when you see your partner more often (taking communication on Skype out of the equation). Anything short of that over time loses that commitment.
I know a couple of people who relied heavily on communication technologies to believe there was still a relationship/marriage with the better half but had the greatest shock of their lives when they finally had the chance to go and see their partners just to realise that everything was a façade.
Apart from the usual jealousy and stress issues, some say long-distance relationships are not always problematic and claim they have better relationship than when the person was closer/is around (mind you, these are chronic bed hoppers), so their answer did not surprise me at all.
No matter how sophisticated technology is, I think it doesn’t change nor ease the pressure on long distance relationships…What do you think?