It is disturbing to realize that in our modern society, many people are betting the farm on long-distance relationships. Most of these love matches are formed via the Internet and the many dating or match-up services available these days. Depending upon your preference for distance, people from as far away as possible can be matched to your profile. But if you specify no more than 50 miles from your home, for example, matches can be found within a reasonable visiting or dating distance.
However, at the price of gas in 2010 and no sign of prices coming down to what we used to consider "cheap," many of these more distant love relationships will fail because the distance is too far to make traveling frequently possible. An initial meeting may spark a flame, but the flame will fade and die due to lack of proximity.
Proximity, in sociological terms, means the nearness and availability of someone. Proximity is the most basic reason for relationships to begin and continue to flourish. Looking at the evolution of society, this has been historically so. Before the days of the automobile and other advanced modes of transportation, proximity was a necessity for successful relationships. A long-distance relationship that worked was the exception. People depended on relationships with others who could share their lives on a frequent basis, and with whom they could enjoy social interactions in person.
Also, the idea that you "may" see someone going from class to class or driving up to the restaurant you frequent is enough to keep the attraction alive. If your chances of crossing paths are good, perhaps a relationship can be developed. When people see one another on a regular basis in a classroom setting, for example, or anywhere both may be at the same time, the odds of striking up a friendship that could lead to a relationship outweigh the probability that a long-distance relationship in which people only see one another occasionally will actually work.
Promises may be made, declarations of love may be exchanged, intimate personal information shared, and a relationship far away may burn brightly for a while. But unless one or the other partner is willing to relocate, the long-distance relationship is destined to fail. After all, even after an "e-examination" of likenesses, differences, compatibility, values, and goals has been done, there is no guarantee either of the people has been entirely truthful. On the Internet, people can embellish their profiles or provide misleading information. Taking for granted the profile is on the level can lead to very big problems in the relationship if a further step is taken to turn the faux relationship into a real-life situation. Believing that you "know" the other individual well can only open the door to disappointment and heartbreak when the other half of the relationship turns out not to be all that was hoped for.
In other situations, friends may attempt to nurture and develop platonic relationships and friendships into more involved commitments. If the distance between them is great, depending on letters, phone calls, text messages, voice mail, e-mail, and a range of newer-age technologies can provide a sense of security in the relationship, but in many cases, it is a false sense of security. There are ample opportunities for each of the partners to explore other sources of companionship outside the so-called committed relationship with the long-distance partner. This is a failure of commitment that has become even more wide-spread with the advancement of electronic technology in the twenty-first century.
What it comes down to is that the old-fashioned method of establishing love relationships is still the best method. This is not to say that long-distance love relationships can not ever work, but when they do, they tend to be short-lived and tenuous. When proximity is not a factor, two people will find it much more difficult to establish a true and lasting love relationship.