Long-distance relationships are notoriously difficult. The distance takes away from simple,… Long-distance relationships are notoriously difficult. The distance takes away from simple, often overlooked pleasures of a day-to-day relationship — no hand-holding or easy movie dates, and forget afternoon strolls. Yet those things can be made up for; the significant absence of sex proves a hardship more difficult to tackle.

The evolution of technology has continuously progressed to new levels, offering several potential solutions to this specific relationship woe. The pre-Internet age had lovers resorting to the time-honored tradition of phone sex to curb their intimate needs, but the lack of visual stimulation quickly killed the novelty of this activity.

Then camera phones stepped up and, accompanied by text messages, provided the opportunity for sharing a little art to associate with the graphic words. Of course, this, too, grew old with the abuse of privileges and the disregarding of the cardinal rule of “No face, no foul.”

Just as long-distance relationships were on he brink of becoming sexually obsolete, Skype showed potential for moderating the dry spell.

Skype is a program, downloadable to Macs and PCs alike, that allows users to video-chat with anyone in the world with a stable Internet connection. For couples, this changed everything. Nights spent droning away on the phone finally became more than, “I just called to hear your voice;” the introduction of Web cams provided an emotionally and physically fulfilling route.

For couples like Pitt sophomore Nikil Grama and his California girlfriend Lauren Gray, this platform has been a lifesaver. The two agree that Skyping is a great way to continue the personal interaction they were accustomed to before distance intervened.

But the sexual advantages of Skype might be a little more than they are ready for.

“The most we’ve ever done was Truth or Dare,” Grama said. “We’re not very sexy over Skype — other than the occasional breast.”

While some are camera shy, others consider Skype sex incomparable to the real thing because its participants have to deal with the distractions of two separate environments.

“I mean, you could be eating Cheetos or something while your partner is naked on the other end. It’s just not as personal,” explained sophomore Gabe Rocco.

Herein lies Skype’s resemblance to sexting. According to Rocco, sex via Skype is like sex via text: Too many other things could be happening to keep it involved. This comparison is often made; the visual cues are there, but much of the personal connection is absorbed by the undeniable disconnect.

In spite of these drawbacks, the allure of being able to share a level of intimacy with a partner still pushes people to test Skype sex. Extended absence can be a terrifying element of relationships for dating parties to endure.

Couples in this situation are often willing to try anything to keep that spark alive.