Editor’s note: This article is a part of a head-to-head. Read the other article here.
People have been told countless times that long-distance relationships don’t work. Many have been scared into believing there would be a time of long-distance within their own relationship, believing it will shrivel and die right in front of them. The truth is, these relationships aren’t much different than those of close proximity and can actually be rewarding.
Long-distance relationships may not be ideal for most, but they are certainly not impossible. In reality, long-distance relationships can be incredibly beneficial for those in them. Sometimes people get wrapped up in their relationships to the point where they lose their sense of identity. Distance can give both people the time to discover their own hobbies and interests, allowing them to be interdependent rather than codependent.
The anxieties about long-distance relationships seem to stem from the past. Before, when long-distance communication was less accessible, it made sense for people to be concerned their long-distance relationship wouldn’t work. It seems as though this concern trickled down from generation to generation, causing us to believe there’s no hope for them. However, research points to the opposite. According to Crystal Jiang, an assistant professor of communications at City University of Hong Kong, people in long-distance relationships reported feeling closer emotionally to their partners than those who lived near each other.
The main concern is the lack of communication within these relationships, with the assumption that the two will drift apart. With the technological developments we’ve had in recent years, this isn’t as large a worry anymore. We now have video-chatting services like FaceTime and Skype, giving people in long-distance relationships the ability to have face-to-face interactions with their partners as often as they please. It isn’t like the old days when we had to wait three weeks for our “snail mail” to arrive. We can have immediate conversations with those around us with little to no inconvenience.
Most people make the assumption that those in close-proximity relationships are much happier than those in long-distance relationships. Oddly enough, this isn’t the case. A study done by Gregory T. Guldner and Clifford H. Swensen of Purdue University shows there’s no significant difference in relationship satisfaction between those in long-distance relationships and those in geographically proximal relationships. The study concluded that the time a couple spends together doesn’t play a large role in relationship maintenance.
Another large concern is the lack of physical touch in long-distance relationships. Research does show that physical touch is important. According to Psychology Today, those who receive pre-stress partner contact have lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures, as well as increased heart rates, when compared to the no-contact group. However, research also shows that people in long-distance relationships tend to imagine physical interactions with their partners, compensating for what is missing. Although physical touch is important in relationships, the knowledge that people can mentally induce a sense of touch relieves the worry about the lack of it.
With times changing and more opportunities emerging, long-distance relationships will probably be on the rise. Thankfully, the concerns about these relationships aren’t many. As long as there is solidity within the relationship to begin with and both parties have a strong sense of willpower, distance is no hindrance to true love.
Chantelle Baker is a 21-year-old communication studies senior from Waipahu, Hawaii.
