In the past lovers had to settle for sending love letters to each other, waiting weeks for a letter to arrive. Now communication is much easier, and technological advances have made it possible for people to have satisfying, happy international relationships.
If you have a laptop or a smartphone you will be able to talk to your lover every day, making the months fly by until you can see each other in person. Here are 4 technology tips for long-distance dating.
1. Tips For Long-Distance Dating: Don’t Rely On Messaging
Texting and instant messaging are the easiest ways to talk to your partner, as they require little effort from either party. However this can result in misunderstandings and arguments, as it is easy to misread a text and get the wrong impression. Communication is 93% non-verbal, so you should try to video chat occasionally.
2. Plan Virtual Dates
If you and your date live in different time zones or you have different schedules it can make it difficult to arrange video chats. However this can leave you both feeling disconnected from each other, so it is worth scheduling video chats with each other so that you get the chance to hang out and have a proper conversation.
Try to find a time that works for both of you, and plan to spend an hour or two hanging out. You can both order takeaway and pour a glass of wine – you could even watch an episode of your favorite show together! This will give you the chance to bond and connect, especially if you commit to doing it regularly, such as once a week or once a fortnight.
3. Share Experiences With Each Other
One of the hard things about being in a long distance relationship is that you can feel out of touch with your partner’s life. Perhaps you’ve never seen your partner’s workplace, or you don’t know much about their friends.
If you can relate to this try sharing daily experiences with each other through a photo and video sharing app such as Snapchat. You can send each other pictures of you with your friends, or a video of a street performer who you really liked. This will make it easier for you to become involved in each other’s lives.
4. Get An App For Couples
There are lots of apps that are specifically aimed at couples in long distance or international relationships. One popular app is called Thumbkiss; when both people press the same spot onscreen the thumbprint turns red and the phone buzzes. It is a small touch, but it allows people to feel like they have more of a physical connection with their lover.
You could also download Couple, which has a couples calendar that you can use to schedule dates, as well as shared drawing canvas that you can both use.
