Love in the Digital Age

MIAMI, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Maintaining a relationship in today's world is not easy and it is harder still when a couple is far apart for various reasons, often because of work.

The communication tools of the digital age offer couples many opportunities to interact that would have been unimaginable decades ago.

Take it from Cecilia Alegria, better known as La Doctora Amor (Dr. Love), who is the author of "Secretos para encontrar pareja en Internet" (Secrets to Finding a Partner on the Internet) and is currently writing another book about long-distance relationships.

"Couples turn on their computers, their microphones and their webcams and, tuning out the rest of the world completely, they talk and 'chat' face-to-face despite being in different cities," Dr. Amor said.

In writing her books, Dr. Amor talked to hundreds of couples who are living apart for different reasons but, thanks to the new technology, have managed to maintain a solid relationship. In her research, she found that "one of the tools long-distance couples most prefer is Skype software, because it allows them to talk face-to-face free of charge and with excellent quality."

Such is the case with Luis, a Venezuelan who talks almost every day with his girlfriend who recently relocated to Los Angeles because of work. They even schedule online "dates" for closer contact. "We talk via Skype, which, in my opinion, is the most direct form of communication after person-to-person contact," Luis said. "It's a step forward because I can see and hear her clearly and we even have dates: we have dinner facing one another and we listen to some music."

Diana, who lives in Costa Rica, stays in touch daily with her boyfriend in Germany using the same service as Luis. "Skype makes the separation less drastic, and you can also see how your partner is changing physically so there are no surprises when you see him again in person," she joked.

"With technological advances such as Skype, love no longer has any boundaries," Dr. Amor said. Skype links couples who are living away from one another by allowing not only calls from one computer to another, but also from a computer to landline and cellular phones.

Doctora Amor's advice for keeping the spark alive in a long-distance relationship:

• Always have something to show – photos, a new song you wrote.
• Try out new technologies like Skype, which allow you to share more than text and voice.
• Make sure it does not become an "all about you and your life" moment. Ask your partner about the things that interest him or her.

For more information about Doctora Amor, please visit www.ladoctoraamor.com.

SOURCE La Doctora Amor