ST.PAUL, Minn.— Technology, like Skype, Facebook and text messaging, is making long-distance relationships more possible today than ever before, according to the StarTribune.com article “Skype and texts will keep us together.”

Senior Ahmed Aldhafeeri, one of about 3 million people in long-distance relationships, was surprised when his girlfriend decided to study abroad in Dubai, United Arab Emirates this semester.

“She said, ‘That’s it, I’m leaving babe,’” Aldhafeeri said. “It’s been four or five months since I’ve seen her in person.”

Aldhafeeri’s girlfriend, junior Sadaf Rahmani, said she doesn’t mind the distance because technology is a fun challenge.

“It makes it fun. It makes it spontaneous,” Rahmani said.

Aldhafeeri and Rahmani aren’t alone when it comes to dating long-distance. According to a study in the Journal Communication Research, half of college students date across the miles.

St. Thomas Director of Family Studies Carol Bruess agreed with the study and said that there is a reason students are willing to go through with a long-distance relationship more so now than in the past.

“It makes a lot of sense that students would or adults would go to great lengths, distance, time, expensive cell phone bills, good computers, with great cameras, to maintain those relationships because they are filling a part of their humanness,” Bruess said.

The miles don’t matter

Even though Aldhafeeri and Rahmani used technology to stay in touch, the couple said that they had to adjust to make the relationship possible.

“I have to stay awake and stay up late. Sometimes she has to stay up late to Skype,” Aldhafeeri said. “We have to come to a compromise.”

Rahmani said that the reason she compromised was because she loves Aldhafeeri.

“He has the sweetest heart. He’s respectful and knows how to treat a woman,” Sadaff said. “Even though it’s hard, I still want to do this.”

Bruess said that Rahmani’s way of thinking didn’t surprise her.

“It’s not surprising that technology has found its way into many relationships because really, at the core of most of us, most all of us want great human significant relationships,” Bruess said.

Bruess said that couples want to hold on to relationships they invest time in.

“We’re willing to go to great lengths to protect those relationships that we find fulfilling and satisfying,” Bruess said.

But when relationships reach troubled waters, break-ups occur, especially on the first Monday of December, according to Facebook data.

Aldhafeeri said that the Facebook data doesn’t affect his relationship.

“Ever since the first time I said, ‘I love you,’ and she said, ‘I love you too,’ there is no breaking up. It doesn’t matter what she does or whatever I do. There’s no break up in the future,” Aldhafeeri said. “We’re meant to be together.”

Hannah Anderson can be reached at ande5385@stthomas.edu.