Whenever we whine to our parents orĀ grandparents about missing someone who’s been travelling for a long time, we’re often met with “e7medo rabena you can still connect with them, talk to them and even see them.” During our grandparents’ times, the only possible way to connect with loved ones far away was sending aĀ weekly letter to catch up on the week’s events. Our parents’ times were different; people used to call each other every other day because phone calls wereĀ pretty expensive. Our generation is supposedly “lucky”; we can get connected in a blink of an eye atĀ the lowest cost. Are we that blessed though? There’s definitely a downside that’s been overlooked here; if you’re in a long distance relationship you need to use technology wisely.

Here’s howĀ it helpsā€¦

  • Makes you connect with them instantly

You can now get in touch instantly in case of emergencies or when you need to take their opinion regarding any matter.

  • You get to see their faces and their expressions

True, words can be expressive and everything but sometimes you need to see their facial expression when you tell them good news, or see their faces when they’re feeling down. Thank God forĀ Skype and Face-time.

  • Sharing the tiniest details of their day

Back in time, letters used to be straightforward and to the point. Their purpose was to comfort the family and beloved ones and let them know that they’re well and safe. They never thought that it would be possibleĀ to share the minutestĀ of details of your life abroad with the people you love.

  • Send pictures of their surroundingsĀ 

You donā€™t only get the chance to share the details of your day, but alsoĀ share the tiniest of details throughĀ pictures and videos.

Having that said, we need to warn that sometimes it actually complicates the relationship even more, here’s howā€¦

  • Misunderstandings

Couples who live together under the same roof and share the same bed canĀ oftenĀ haveĀ misunderstandings/miscommunication. Imagine if you’re miles away and your only method of communication is either texting or phone calls.

  • When there’s no answer or the phone is off

You get extremely worried when normal stuff happen like if the battery dies in the middle of a call or if they you text them and they don’t reply.

  • Time difference is frustrating

Time difference can be just an hour or up to ten hours in some cases. It’s frustrating when the times you can get in touch areĀ inconvenient, when your daytime is their night time and vice versa. Sometimes one of the partners may not beĀ in the mood for chatting;Ā they’re either with friends, watching a movie, or simply don’t feel like it.

Ā 

  • You’re not aware that you’re truly missing them

In a regularĀ relationship, couples usually meet up whenever they feel like they miss each other; they could text and speakĀ on the phone, but stillĀ find the time to see each other. In long distance relationships, if couplesĀ rely too much on social media, they won’t even recognize that they do miss each other because after all they’reĀ always seeing their partnerĀ on a screen, not in flesh and blood.

Social media/technology might have facilitatedĀ communication but it surelyĀ comes atĀ a price. You need to use it wisely and try to build on it, because after all you need to hear each other’s voices and be able to see each other’s faces in REAL.