How to Maintain an Online Relationship
Online dating struggled to gain any legitimacy in the first few years of its development. It wasn’t until 1998, with the release of You’ve Got Mail, that online dating started to be seen as more than just a fad. Today, aside from meeting through friends, online dating is the most common way to meet someone new. The rules are still a little blurred when it comes to maintaining an online relationship.
Online relationships are essentially long-distance relationships at their core. However, there are still some fundamental differences. These differences can make maintaining an online relationship a lot more difficult. Still, the millennials of the world are writing the rulebook with each passing relationship. So much so that there are now tips you can follow for maintaining your online relationship.
Below are seven of the top tips for maintaining an online relationship in 2020:
1. Stay Connected
Online relationships are notorious for sweeping you off your feet. It seems as though they all begin relatively the same way. You meet the person, and the two of you begin speaking via the dating app’s messaging service or text message. Usually, the first few weeks are fiery. They are filled with long late-night conversations as you try to get to know this person.
The thing about online dating is that your main vehicle for communication is your cellphone or computer. In a matter of weeks, it feels as though your entire life is on your phone. Chances are, you don’t remember what it was like to not be texting someone every minute of the day.
The key to maintaining this online relationship is to maintain this connectivity. It is likely that the fire will fade to a slow burn, as it always does. As long as the connectivity is still there, so is the relationship. It is important to establish a routine of sorts. A routine in regards to how often you speak with your significant other and the manner in which you speak.
2. Maintain Open Communication At All Times
Communication is important in every relationship, but especially for online relationships. It is vital to ensure you are communicating about stuff that matters. It is one thing to be constantly connected and checking in on one another. However, if you do not maintain open communication and complete honesty, the relationship is doomed.
When asked what people look for in a relationship, communication and trust are two of the things that are brought up the most, no matter the type of relationship.
This is something you can sense right away and is oftentimes the first red flag that people tend to ignore. No one wants to believe their significant other isn’t being as open with them as they should. In an online relationship, however, open communication is the lifeblood. Both partners have to be willing and receptive to this type of communication. They have to be completely committed, or the relationship will fail. There’s no other way around it.
3. Create a Level of Intimacy
In relationships, there is a certain level of intimacy you typically expect or look for in your significant other. Online relationships don't void you from experiencing the same levels of intimacy.
To maintain an online relationship, you and your partner must maintain a level of intimacy as well. Whether you have met up in person or not. There needs to be some way for you two to have intimate moments when you aren't together.
Below are some suggestions you can try:
- Video chats to feel as though you are closer to the person
- Intimate phone, video, and text conversations
- Sending photographs to one another
- It is important to note that you should never send a nude photograph of yourself to someone you’ve never seen and do not trust
- Sending virtual gifts or mailing presents
- Asking for him to send you his favorite hoodie for you to sleep in
Being in an online relationship forces you to get creative in most areas. This is especially true when it comes to intimacy. Every relationship is unique in its own way. It all starts with a conversation. Together, you can come up with what works best for you and your situation.
4. Do Things Together
Just because you are in an online relationship doesn’t mean you can’t do things together. It doesn’t matter if you have plans to meet up or one day move to the same place, there are things you can do in the meantime.
As mentioned above, online relationships call for some sort of creativity in more ways than one. Online relationships are unconventional at their foundation. Comparing your relationship with anyone else’s is doing yourself and your relationship a disservice.
Some things you can do with your significant other are:
- Video chatting and watching the same movie together
- Reading the same book together and talking about it
- Play video games online together
- Watch your favorite shows together
The most important thing to remember is that this time is special. It is crucial for your partner to know that you are making time for him or her. When you let work or other people come in the way of your time together, it is as if you canceled on a date or stood them up altogether.
5. Make Time to Meet in Person
Show your significant other that you are willing to make time for them by setting aside time to meet in person. It might not be feasible in the beginning, and this is perfectly okay and understandable. However, after a certain amount of time passes, there should at least be plans for an in-person meeting.
For those that have to purchase a plane ticket just to see your significant other, start by making a plan. You and your significant other can set realistic goals to save a small amount of money each week. Doing this will ensure that you and your significant other are working together to solve the problem. It will also show that you are setting a date to meet, even if it is a year in advance.
Too many people get catfished on the internet. It happens because they are dating someone that refuses to meet in person. For the relationship to flourish, there has to be a date set to meet each other in person.
6. Make Plans For the Future
Not only is meeting in person vital to the health of your online relationship but making future plans is as well. Future plans show that you two are serious about your connection. This doesn’t mean you have to plan out your entire lives together in the first month. Every relationship goes through a natural progression.
There comes a time in any relationship when it’s time to “take it to the next level” or to call it quits. The same goes for online relationships as well. If you do not see yourself with this person in the long-term, there may not be much of a point in continuing your relationship.
Sometimes it is hard to tell someone how you feel about them. It is always best to establish what you are looking for when dating. If you don't, the relationship could get more serious than you originally intended. This will ensure that someone isn’t left heartbroken in the end. As mentioned above, open and honest communication is the lifeblood of online relationships.
7. Maintain Strong Relationships With Loved Ones
Being in an online relationship can take up a lot of your time throughout the day. Chances are, a majority of your time is spent at work. Then you come home to cook dinner and it's time for bed. There isn't much time left after that for anything else other than your relationship.
Your loved ones are the support system you need in good times and bad. Not only are they a great support system, but they are great for maintaining a realistic perspective. No matter what kind of relationship you are in, it can be nearly impossible at times to take a step back and assess the situation.
Online relationships are innately private because all of the conversations and hangouts are made virtually and usually without other people around. It is important for you to know when to ask for advice from your loved ones but also to keep them in the loop. If this could potentially be a lasting relationship in your life, it is only right that your loved ones are even minutely a part of it.
Back in the ’60s, if you asked someone what they thought about online dating, they would have told you it was a fad that wouldn’t last the decade. Now it is one of the most common ways to meet someone new.
The rulebook of how to maintain an online relationship has been informally written over the years. The above-stated tips are a small piece of the puzzle to help you maintain your online relationship. At the end of the day, all relationships require a little give and take. Online relationships just force you to get a little creative as well.
