Digitalization has changed the way people live—from how we work, how we interact, how we connect, and even how we date.
Yes, even romance has been transformed by the digital age. Fleeting now are the days of letters and poems, or meeting your partner only through chance encounters at libraries and coffee shops. You don’t even need friends and loved ones to set you up on blind dates anymore. With just a few swipes and taps, your soulmate could now be just around the virtual corner.
In fact, a study published in the ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’, sociologist Michael Rosenfeld found that heterosexual couples are now more likely to meet a romantic partner online than through personal contacts and connections. The traditional ways of meeting dates—through families, establishments, and neighborhood—he said, have all been in decline.
Love is now accessible and easy to find. The question now remains: How can they make it last once they do meet and find that spark? Apparently, it is just the same as other couples. With the right amount of trust and compassion, relationships that began online can thrive just as well. These couples are a living proof:
Romance via dating app
Monea Williams and Antonio Johnson met in April 2019 via dating app tinder. They were both looking for companionship, and it actually took a while for Monea to let her guard down—especially because there are so many men on the internet that can be rude and inappropriate. However, she said Antonia has been “incredibly kind” to her. After a few weeks of texting and vide conferencing via FaceTime, they eventually went on their first date in May 2019.
The first and second dates, they said were awkward. However, Monea said that if they got through the awkwardness, they could have something special. Now, a year after, they are in a loving relationship and companionship full of laughter and comfort.
A random Facebook friend request
A very random friend request on Facebook in 2011 let Jay Ann and Abhinav to a happy marriage eight years later. According to Jay Ann, both have no intention of looking for romance online. She found no harm in accepting the friend request, which led to them harmlessly chatting with each other.
Their Facebook connection, she said, unexpectedly blossomed into a real friendship. Both of them found a confidante in each other. At an early stage, they were very much happy with their friendship, confidently sharing with each other their life stories, secrets, heartaches and even their own love stories. At the time, they were really not into a relationship, just pure and platonic friendship.
However, after a few months, their friendship turned into romance. She said it was the most beautiful kind of love because it was unexpected, and because they started out as good friends.
They officially became a couple in June 2011, and met personally for the first time after five years.
They finally got married in May 2019, after eight years of being in a long-distance relationship. “This year, we have celebrated their ninth year of love and being together. Next year, we will be celebrating a decade of our love,” she said.
Contributed by Shilpi Kakani
