It seems like meeting one another in person would be a prerequisite for beginning a relationship but as we have learned, this is not the case in today’s society. Many long distance relationships begin from two people meeting online that may live thousands of miles apart, making actually meeting up a difficult task.
Let us explore long distance relationships where couples have met online but have not yet met in person. We’ll look at the pros and cons of online dating as well as some of the dangers of online long distance relationships.
Long Distance Relationships that Start Online and You Haven’t Met
Relationships that begin online have advantages and disadvantages to meeting someone in person first. A whole new set of rules are brought to the table of dating and relationships when it comes to the internet. While video apps like FaceTime and Skype make it possible to physically see each other when you communicate, it’s still difficult to pick up on physical cues that someone is into you such as engaging eye contact, inward leaning, mirroring actions, and touching.
It’s important to keep in mind that an initial attraction you feel for a photograph or through a webcam may not be the same in person. It is also important to note that the giddiness and nervousness that often comes about when you are around someone you like is hard to replicate that of true physical presence.
Online dating often involves trying to decipher emails and texts to get a sense of the tone or feeling that was implied. Words can easily be taken the wrong way and not clarified as quickly or easily as when engaging face to face.
What app you use can have a huge impact on the quality of partners you meet and how compatible you are when you finally get to talk in real-time. When you look at the rankings of the best dating apps you will consistently see that apps that help identify compatible couples and foster connection are rated the highest and have the best long-term results.
There are a lot of dating apps available these days and many do little or nothing to actually make dating easier for you. Others go in-depth to understand what you’re looking for and match you up with people that are compatible with you. Which of these do you think is going to make that first conversation easier?
Do yourself a favor and spend your time on apps that actually help you out. It will lead to much better conversations and success meeting new partners.
You also have the problem of an actual physical connection. Physical touch has the ability to communicate a range of feelings such as love, compassion, anger, happiness, sadness, and fear. Touch can be extremely important for a relationship to succeed and we’re not necessarily referring to sex. Physical connections such as hugging, kissing, holding hands, caressing, and cuddling can more often than not strengthen a couple’s bond more than sex can. Sex of course can also help to strengthen your bond so long as it is done in a healthy way where the desire is mutual between both parties.
Although physical connection is extremely important for a relationship and may ultimately be needed for a relationship to become long lasting, it is not necessarily compulsory in the beginning stages of a relationship. Some people struggle with meeting others face to face or may have issues when it comes to physical contact. For them, meeting people via avenues such as the internet is a much more comfortable way to get to know someone.
A definite advantage of an online relationship is that people tend to find it easier to be themselves and are more relaxed. Some people can be extremely shy when first meeting someone, but they are completely open with close friends. This type of person may find it much easier to begin a relationship with someone online before actually meeting them.
Some find it difficult to say the right words when confronted with someone in person, even confident people can struggle with conversation during a first date. Communicating online or over a phone, however, can give you that little extra time to come up with the perfect words to say via text, message, or email. You can easily delete a sentence or a thought, whereas it is impossible to do so in a face to face situation.
Searching for a partner online also gives you the ability to do a bit of research or innocent stalking to find someone who has the qualities you are looking for. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can allow us to get a pretty good insight into what a person’s personality is like, while also discovering what interests them. You get to see how they interact with their friends and family, at least in terms of how they communicate with them over social media.
When it comes to online relationships, you have to ask yourself what you are looking to get out of the relationship. Are you content with a relationship that lacks a physical connection or is the ultimate goal to come together as a more traditional couple? It should clearly be communicated by both sides what each other’s motives are for the relationship. Some people may be solely looking for a sort of virtual companionship where they simply want to feel support from another individual and may not be looking for anything more serious.
It’s also important to be wary of meeting individuals online who aren’t who they say they are. Catfishing is the term used for when someone lures another individual into a relationship by adopting a fictional online persona. The internet world makes it much easier for a person to make a fictitious profile that may be more appealing for attracting the person they desire.
A person can quite easily create a social media account using a false name where they then take on a sort of alter ego. They can post photos stolen from other people’s real profiles or may use stock images. Others may use their true identity but may use photos taken years ago so as to appear younger. There are countless stories of people believing they were communicating with one person only to realize their true identity was completely different. You may for instance fall for a 20 year old single male that has an athletic build which may in truth be a 50 year old overweight married man or even a woman.
Although catfishing is probably not as common as certain T.V. shows or horror stories would like you to believe, it is definitely something you need to be aware of. Our biggest piece of advice would be not to ignore red flags or warning signs. More often than not, there will be many signs you can look for to avoid this type of unfortunate scenario.
Check out our Best-Selling eBook:
“The Ultimate How To Guide on Surviving Long Distance Love”
If You Liked This Post You May Also Like:
6 Comments
That’s nice,though am struggling of the same but atleast there is hope.
There is always hope!
Thanks for this article. I am in a long-distance relationship with an Australian (I’m American.). Most of the time, things are great, but we are setting up a meeting face-to-face trip since the borders are finally open. We are both pretty fearful… I am thankful for the tips!
So glad that borders have finally reopened for you, and I hope it’s an amazing first meet for you both!
How do you tell if the person online in long distance relationship is really into you or just using you as amusement
Hi Kate, you should be able to get a good feel for this over time, as it’s a lot harder to maintain a genuine connection and relationship as time goes by – many people who use LDRs for amusement don’t last very long.
I would say though to avoid this occuring as much as possible, to focus on communication methods like video and phone calls, which will give you a more accurate picture of the type of relationship, connection, and commitment from the other person :)
Wish you well!