Long Distance Relationships in the 21st Century

A few years ago long distance relationships was code for outrageous phone bills. When the couple gets separated for a long time people would naturally seek comfort in the voice of their other. However, with the revolution of the internet, seeking the comfort of your other half no longer damaged the pockets.

Electronic mail (e-mail) and instant messaging (IM) took communication from an audio to video source. Voice could be substituted, in part, for seeing the other's thoughts on the screen. Couples adapted. Phone bills would gradually decrease-if the man had any say in the matter at least-as communication could be sought in a free form. Distance was less and less a factor in relationships.

Actually, the internet led to a new type of relationship. Of course I am referring to the online relationship, which takes long distance to an entirely new level. Quite a few people could now "date" without having ever physically met the other person. Through phone chat and constant online communication these people could form a connection as if they were together in the same state. All things considered, though, a few people would never consider this a true relationship.

Regardless of how you view online relationships it cannot be denied that e-mail and IM helped proper long term relationships too. These people, who have the physical connection, could be less separated by their distance. Personal letters could be sent more quickly instead of relying on snail mail. Even so long distance relationships still meant no visual connection.

Voice over IP (VOIP) was one of the next services transform long distance relationships. Prior to VOIP it was not so bad to be separated across your country, but being somewhere on an international level was a lot more stressful. International calls are immensely more costly than simple long-distance calls. Fortunately for these people they had e-mail and IM to tide them over. With VOIP these relationships were just the same as their same country counterparts.

Lastly there's the full visual fulfillment brought to long distance relationships by the webcam. While using your sight for e-mail and IM neither could come close to the joy of seeing your partner in pixels. Phone and cyber sex could easily be turned into a more stimulating event... especially for men. Webcams created long distance relationships to a new stage where it was almost like being with them in person.

Where can LDRs go from here? Out of the five senses-seeing, hearing, taste, touch, and smell-I imagine that smell will be next. After all there is an emerging technology for movies that will have little air vents to pump out specific smells for the moviegoer. Could this be applied to distance hampered relationships? Possibly; only time will tell. It may not be too far off after all.