Dr Janet Hall, Clinical Psychologist, recommends that folks make an effort to catch up physically with their friends to enjoy good times if they want a deeper and richer relationship over time.
Long before technology, people successfully engaged in written communication for long-distance relationships which lasted lifetimes. So lack of face-to-face time need not deter from a relationship.
It’s just far more likely to enhance and enrich and endure over time when there is face-t-face because:
Dr Jan says:
Real-time shared activities anchor home the feelings of attachment and strengthen them.
eg we go to the movies together and then debrief afterwards immediately and our eyes connect and our empathy is deepened – this is much more so than when we just talk about a movie we have independently watched on facebook or text.
