Used to be a husband and wife would be separated by continents for months, writing romantic letters to each other about the work on the steam engine — this wasn’t just yesterday, mind you. Can you imagine writing letters and waiting weeks for a response from your better half? Don’t even get me started about the sex (or lack thereof).

Sometimes, I can hardly wait for a video to buffer or a new window to open without experiencing the sudden urge to toss my laptop across the room. No chance in hell I would have made it as a pioneer, no way, no how. Thank goodness we live in the digital age, where emails and phone calls can fan relationship flames so they don’t simply fizzle out in a week.

Long story short, dating and even sex have evolved as a result of technology, and we can now continue to develop our romantic and sexual lives through online communications. No more waiting for the telegraph from loved ones. Instead, you can open your email account or social network of choice and then burn some digital sheets. Truth is, even if thousands of miles separate two people, you might still want to keep them in your life, be your connection emotional, mental, or sexual, cybering … all … night … long.

There are technologies being used nowadays to not only keep lovers connected, but also to develop their relationship on a level never possible before. A steamy Skype chat while using a cam might give you an incredible orgasm, just as a midnight chat about your dreams of becoming a botanist or publishing a book might afford you the opportunity to open up to your partner and discover a much deeper level of intimacy.

Easier said than done, right? Not really, because here are some affordable (and often free) technologies that everyone can use, whether you’re trying to maintain a bond or revitalize and strengthen a connection. Whatever your motives, using the technologies mentioned below will definitely help you keep the spark alive, and perhaps even deepen your relationship.

• Emails — These babies are a necessity to long distance relationships! Everyone has an email account these days — most are free after all — and just dropping your boyfriend or girlfriend a little love note now and again can act as a huge demonstration of your commitment. Plus, you can reveal anything you want in an email: how you bombed your calculus final earlier today, or even how much you already miss the smell your lover left on your pillow the last time they slept over.

• Walls — Posting comments or links on someone’s social networking wall might not seem like it would make a huge impact on the relationship, but honestly, it does. A video of their favorite comedy show or even a link to a blog that details an inside joke you two share not only shows that you’re thinking about them, but also that you know each other inside and out.
• Chats — Practically speaking, chats are the single most useful form of technology a long distance relationship has at its disposal. Whether you’re using Facebook just to say hello or using Skype to talk to (and see) your boyfriend who’s currently studying abroad, chats allow you to communicate in real time, which means you don’t have to wait until the next day for an email update. Though the picture may be a bit pixelated and the audio may sound a bit rough, at least you’re in contact and engaging each other in conversation.
• Texting — Wherever you are, whenever you’re available, you almost always have your cell phone in your pocket or your purse. Something interesting or exciting happens — and bam! — you can forward a picture and a lovely text message to your lover, however far away. And just imagine their phone vibrating in their pocket, inches from their erogenous zone, already starting to anticipate your text with saucy thoughts of your next encounter…
• Cameras — Know anyone who hasn’t at least thought about the sexual potential of cams? You may be thousands of miles away, and you can still masturbate together with your loved one. Now that’s hot! Of course, camming isn’t as great as the touch of your lover, but sharing some online play and dirty talk is definitely the next best thing. In fact, this form of sexual exploration may open up the doorway to some experimentation the next time you meet in person — ooh-la-la!

So always remember — a laptop and a high-speed Internet connection can do wonders for your long distance relationship, and help you show emotional (and sexual) sides of yourself never explored before. Geography’s got nothing on our desires, and technology will always prove useful in keeping us connected and intimate for ages to come.

Comment below: How have you used technology to maintain a long-distance relationship?

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