ABSTRACT
Soldiers who are deployed often are also romantically involved. To maintain a good relationship and to keep the romance going the couple can use the internet to continue dating, albeit from a distance. Face-to-face communication already is an art. Communication by the internet, however, takes two times the effort and is two times as difficult. Psychologically, an e-relationship can even be more intense than a real-life relationship whilst sociologically a whole network is implied. Dating from a distance follows its own rules and logic. In this chapter the politics of electronic relations are reviewed. We discuss dating in a networked society, falling in love and staying in love, infidelity, and the “Dear John” letter.
