By Gabby Sahm
Staff Writer
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr and most recently Vine have all sky-rocketed into the most popular ways of communicating over the Internet. From sending tweets, to taking pictures that last up to 10 seconds, social communication is evolving more into profile to profile contact, rather than face to face.
Online dating has become the modern way to have a relationship. Whether you are just looking for a friend, or really trying to take the next step, it just seems easier to find a match online. Since you can meet almost anyone online, there can be major problems that arise from trying to pursue a relationship: the most prominent being distance.
Usually when one is surfing the web he or she is not focused on where a person lives, but are more concerned with what they look like. If you happen to stumble across someone, and a conversation sparks then where you live might pop into conversation, but it will simply pop back out. At the time, you do not think much of it, seeing as you might not think anything will happen between you and this person. That is where long distance relationships stem from. The more you get to know the person, the more you might want something out of the relationship.
Now I am not saying that forming connections online are always the way to go. Not everybody is who they say they are. Many people create fake online profiles just to mess with people and steal their personal information. When you meet someone online, do not just dive straight in, get to know them some first before sharing more personal information.
Meeting someone in person can be safer but there are still problems that can arise. If you attend an event, or for teenagers maybe a camp, you have a high chance of meeting new people. If you happen to come across someone that interests you, chances are you will retrieve their number, and go from there. The cold truth is that just because you both attended the same event or camp, does not mean you both live in the same area.
Regardless of the way you meet someone, if you feel a connection towards them, then go for it. Distance should not be a factor that causes you to stray away from people. If you go through life not forming connections with people outside your town, then when you have the possibility to adventure away from the nest, you will be lost. These long distance relationships and connections could help you on later in life.
My friend attended a camp this past summer. It was an open camp, meaning students from all around the country could attend. Since it was a Chinese camp, and the most dominate foreign language at Coppell High School is Spanish, he did not have any friends from home going. He was scared, but ready for the challenging, and awkward task of making new friends.
You can meet people anywhere you go. The world is full of so many people, and with more being born each day, there is always someone new to meet. You can form all types of relationships just by saying hello to someone, and a summer camp is no exception. My friend ended up meeting his now long distance girlfriend, and they have been going strong for six months.
If you form a connection with someone that means a lot to you, then the distance between you should not matter. Technology allows you to call, text, direct message and even FaceTime with each other. Even though you may be miles apart, there are many alternatives that can make you feel like you are in the same room with them.
Many people see long distance relationships as stressful, and down right pointless. If you can not be in the same room as your significant other, then why even try? Often people who are in long distance relationships are picked on or judged, because long distance relationships are not as socially acceptable as regular relationships. If they are not involved in the relationship, then they have no say on what goes on in it. If you are happy in the relationship, nothing else should matter. People can talk all they want, but the relationship you are in now might not last forever, so make the most of it.
