Relationship Maintenance

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Assumptions are the termites of relationships.

-- Henry Winkler

Once a relationship is formalized, is it more easily maintained by the use of techhnology? Assuming that two individuals have already progressed through several stages of romantic development, it becomes feasible to assume that technology can serve as a beneficial tool in aiding communication between partners. First, electronic communication can be used as yet another means to communication in a repertoire of different methods. Just as varying one's style of communication may be useful in transmitting information effectively, varying one's means of communication can serve the same purpose. Second, for couples who must deal with long-distance relationships, technology can serve to keep lines of communication open and active, allowing both persons to remain updated about each other's lives.

The main adverse effect of technology on relationship maintenance occurs when eletronic communication is employed as the only means of communication. It isn't uncommon for individuals engaged in long-distance relationships to find comfort in idealized portraits of their significant others, but such a comfort has associated costs. Because people naturally evolve as time progresses, long-distance relationships can be difficult to manage without sufficient levels of quality communication. Such quality can come in the form of something as simple as the sound of one's voice over the telephone. If couples use a variegated set of communication methods, then technology can be a useful tool for relationship maintenance; it simply shouldn't be the only tool used.