ONLINE DATING
Is a Virtual Date as Good as the Real Thing?
Just as the world scrambles to adapt to the latest trends and innovations, modern dating practices also continue to evolve in order to keep up with technology.
Every week, there seems to be new online dating apps or more fun virtual date ideas people can try. Men can now send flowers to their wives without leaving the office, while women can ring their lovers any time of the day for a quick chat. An entire industry has effectively been spawned to cater to the needs of people building and maintaining relationships in today’s digital age.
And it’s only to be expected. After all, if couples want to survive the 21st century, they need to make sure even their love can get with the times.
A Poor Substitute?
By definition, a virtual date is any kind of romantic activity done online or through calls and text messages. Couples often send blow-by-blow updates of their day when they’re apart, or schedule video conferences while traveling or living halfway across the world from each other.
But despite the novelty of the term, the concept of expressing love for someone who is far away isn’t exactly new. Before the internet, people had pen pals and sent physical letters to the objects of their desire — be it a spouse serving his country on foreign soil or a beautiful stranger from the Sunday paper.
A virtual date is just another way to make a difficult situation work despite the issue of distance. Only this time, instead of postal services, people have social media, messaging apps, and a host of other digital tools at their disposal.
Yet no matter how creative these dating alternatives can get, some still wonder if they’re doing away with things that are fundamental for a good relationship: physical intimacies, in-person quality time, even something as simple as touch.
Can a virtual date really replace traditional dating practices that require partners to be in the same room? Or is this the future of contemporary relationships?
Or a Great Alternative?
Yes, there are things that even state-of-the-art technology can’t replace, but that’s not necessarily what a virtual date is trying to do.
Aside from the fact that remote courtship has been around for as long as people learned to cross oceans, the benefits of online dating extend to more than just providing a stand-in for “real” dating.
For couples who value work-life balance, a virtual date can be a good way to focus on their career while still spending time with a partner who’s doing the same. Instead of driving hours to meet for movies or dinner at a restaurant, they can cook matching meals and share a screen to catch up on their favorite tv show.
Preferred love languages can also vary, and not everyone places high importance on physical touch. Couples can still spend quality time even online, as long they’re both on the same page when it comes to their needs and expectations.
Opting to have a virtual date doesn’t mean there’s no other choice. Sometimes, it’s the best way to keep the spark alive and bond while getting to try all the new exciting things that the modern world has to offer.
In the end, a virtual date doesn’t have to be “as good as the real thing” — not when it can be just as real as anything else.
