Can You Fall In Love With Someone Online Without Meeting Them?

Can you fall in love with someone online? For many of us out here, it takes years to finally stumble upon ‘the one’. If we don’t sign up on dating apps, we live with the fear of missing out. But we can’t help but remain curious about the online dating world.

Is it possible to fall in love with someone you never met? We have to admit that the concept of virtual dating has massively changed the scenario, especially from what it used to be a few decades back. In a survey result, 54% of Americans acknowledge online relationships to be just as successful as the ones that happen through in-person meetings.

With the ease of online dating and video calls, finding a romantic relationship or a sexual one is nothing but child’s play. But can dating without meeting offer you that old-school charm of falling in love? Is it even possible to fall in love online? To unravel the mystery, stay with us. 

Is It Possible To Fall In Love Without Meeting?

Initially, Susan was a bit skeptical about the whole idea of online dating. Falling in love with someone online from another country or even another state was something beyond her expectations. She is a second-grade teacher in the local elementary school with a pretty mellow dating history. Until Mike popped up on her Messenger one afternoon. They bonded over their mutual interest in country music and gradually, this connection grew deeper and deeper. There were days that Susan and Mike practically spent on FaceTime, sharing every bit of their lives with each other. 

In a conversation with her best friend, Susan told her, “You know, I had my doubts about falling in love online without meeting someone. Now that I am so hopelessly falling for him, I am starting to acknowledge it. I have only read about these kinds of feelings in Nicholas Sparks’ novels. And I think he loves me too, only he’s too shy to admit it.” To her utter astonishment, Mike invited her to spend the whole summer with him in San Francisco. And this visit entirely changed the trajectory of their so-far-so-good online relationship. 

After reaching there, Susan realized what a sloppy person Mike really is – putting the same clothes on for three days, stuffing the old milk cartons into the refrigerator, expecting her to keep her luggage “wherever”. Everything about his lifestyle was a huge turn-off for her. Quite naturally, for Mike, she came across as too bossy, too nitpicky. By the time summer was over, so was their little romance. All those intense feelings just vanished into thin air – poof! 

Related Reading: Addicted To Dating Apps: Why Can’t We Stop Swiping?

Obviously, the dating without meeting business didn’t go as expected for Susan and Mike. But that doesn’t mean it will be a flop for you too – which brings us back to the question: Can you fall in love with someone online? Yes. But sometimes, what happens is that the online dating system caters love to you, wrapped in an illusion. You don’t really fall in love with a person. You conceptualize that person in your mind just the way you would like your ideal partner to be. 

Dating without meeting: what can you expect? 

We are not entirely calling off the idea of falling in love online without meeting someone. Studies suggest that 34% of Americans in committed relationships claim to have met their partner/spouse online. Plus, we cannot overlook the convenience factor associated with online dating. 

Disabled people and people with social anxiety or other mental health conditions might prefer to meet like-minded singles on a dating app and ease themselves into falling in love with someone. Of course, for them, it’s a better catch than looking for an ideal mate at a pub or a bookstore. If they say they found the love of their life on Bumble, you and I can’t question the genuineness of their feelings and that relationship. 

As you get to know each other and find out about the things you have in common, it will make you feel more attached to them. As a matter of fact, we often feel more comfortable sharing our dark secrets with a stranger because they will be comparatively less judgemental than a friend. They become your emotional companion and it’s no wonder you feel a deep soul connection with them. Also, you can’t deny that you have imagined their physical aspects in your head a thousand times already. 

If you are falling in love with someone online from another country, you would count the days to finally meet them in person and touch them to see if they are for real! The odds of you clicking in the real world as you did in the virtual one are actually even. It may so happen that your love, friendship, and fondness for one another increase with each passing day after the physical meeting. Or the obvious red flags might come to the surface, drifting you two apart. 

Related Reading: Are You Falling In Love Too Fast? 8 Reasons You Should Slow Down

Falling In Love Online: Is It Possible?

In an ideal world, you are supposed to spend a significant amount of time with a partner before validating your feelings. Can you fall in love with someone online without having a taste of their lips on your tongue or holding their hands? Is it possible to fall in love with someone you never met – if you have never felt all warm and fuzzy in their arms? Is it possible to fall in love online if you don’t know how irresistible their smell is? Believe it or not, these factors contribute to a great extent to our way of falling in love.  

Marilyn Monroe once said, “…if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.” When you are dating someone online, in most cases, you both will present composed versions of yourselves. It will not be an uphill task to impress the person behind the screen because it’s an act you put up for a few hours of the day. Makes you wonder, “Can you fall in love with someone online if you haven’t seen them raw and vulnerable?” 

I have personally known couples who met online, fell in love, and eventually walked down the aisle to a happily-married life. At the same time, there are people like Susan and Mike who fail to make it work due to the stark differences between their fantasies and reality. 

The best way to answer this question is that you might find yourself on the verge of falling in love. And with a little luck in your favor, a beautiful relationship might take off from this meddling of the internet. That being said, if you dream about a perfect copybook relationship without experiencing your partner’s flaws, quirks, and everyday relationship challenges, you might face a bit of disappointment when the relationship descends into the real world. 

The point is whether you meet and fall in love with your partner on Tinder or at school, every relationship ultimately discovers the red flags once the honeymoon phase is over. The matter of concern should be whether you can still have healthy communication, are emotionally available for each other, and can count on them to stand by your side no matter what.

We don’t want you to base your love life on far-fetched hopes. Is it possible to fall in love with someone you never met? Yes, but dating without meeting may invite troubles when you least expect them. Being aware of these five occurrences (both positive and negative) of online dating well ahead of time might help you keep the ball in your court:

Related Reading: 13 Major Disadvantages Of Online Dating

1. Long-distance relationship issues

Who wants their relationship to be tagged with the unnecessary troubles of long-distance from the get-go? Falling in love with someone online from another country or another state can put you in this muddle. They say love is blind and it may land you in a long-distance online relationship. Just a heads-up, don’t let yourself go all the way unless you are ready to accept the obvious struggles of the physical distance.

Ana, a born and brought up Texan girl, once matched with a New York guy over Tinder. What started off as a purely casual online fling eventually shaped into a genuine connection of two hearts. They couldn’t find a place in their heart to deny the intense feelings. But going back and forth 1700 miles to keep the romance alive was not making it any easier. Taking a step back seemed more desirable to both of them and once again, love met its tragic end. 

2. The convenience of meeting similar-minded people 

Imagine, you are an introvert looking for a serious relationship. We understand the pressure of having a series of human interactions to finally seize a genuine date via conventional methods. But if you set the filters right on a dating app, you may bump into another introverted, indoorsy person who enjoys books and coffee just as much as you do. You will see love is just a text away.

Think about the LGBTQIA+ community who rely heavily on online dating platforms because the path to finding ‘out of the closet’ suitable matches is not so easy for them. Even as a bicurious person who’s willing to explore the field, you might have some difficulty explaining your needs to a potential love interest in real life. Feeld reviews, though, claim that they can help you meet tailor-made matches based on your exact requirements. 

There are plenty of fish in this vast virtual dating sea. Your soulmate is probably out there, chatting with someone else right now. All you have to do is to be patient. When the day comes and you both finally swipe right, love will come knocking at your door. 

3. Identity crisis 

Love in the time of online dating is an extremely volatile area. The word ‘trust’ takes a backseat. If you have watched or heard about the popular 2010 documentary Catfish, you know how people can live under the misconception of falling in love with someone who barely even exists behind their fake online presence. 

It’s not just another fictitious anecdote. According to a study, 53% of people tend to lie on their online dating profiles. It may be possible to fall in love online but you cannot tell for sure whether you are smitten by the blue-eyed young fellow or it’s a drug peddler in disguise. 

4. Physical compatibility might take a hit

As long as you are in the virtual world, chatting and face timing, your imaginations fly high. You picture many wild lovemaking sessions with your online partner and not once do they disappoint you. At some point, you have to come out of the daydreaming and be on your first date after meeting online. 

Seeing them physically, sitting in front of you can make all the difference. What if you don’t feel attracted to them? What if that kiss with too much tongue doesn’t do anything for you? We are not saying it’s the fate of every online relationship but it’s a possibility for sure. 

Related Reading: 12 Clear Signs You Are Infatuated And Not In Love

5. It may work out

We don’t wish to be the harbinger of bad news. Your partner may fall even harder after seeing you in person and sweep you off your feet with their grand, romantic gestures. You asked, “Can you fall in love with someone online?” Well, you can, by all means, build an honest, loving bond with someone you have never actually met.

Isn’t falling in love the most beautiful feeling in the world? And we know you deserve every bit of it. When it comes to falling in love online without meeting your potential partner, we can safely say that it’s a possibility. If you are completely convinced that this is the real deal and you have found your soulmate, you should trust your feelings and give that relationship a fair chance. 

Although, it’s our responsibility to give you a reality check along with the romantic side of it. Your love story may alter in a jiffy if the person hiding behind the green dot turns out to be a romance scammer. We just hope you will be careful enough to not open up about your intense, innermost emotions and give in to a cyber scam. 

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