With all the talk of Skype and Internet dating and virtual romance, there comes an increased incidence of long distance relationships and the risks inherent in them. Once the domain of soldiers or college students after graduating, long distance relationships have in the digital age, become much more common. Unfortunately, along with those relationships come the risks that have always been a part of long distance relationships.
The biggest risk for long distance relationships is that they will never pan out. People can love one another and yearn to be together for days, months or even years, but if the relationship ends before they have had a chance to be together in person, one or both people might feel they've been missing out on something they might have had were it not for the long distance relationship that never worked out. They might even feel like they've been cheated out of a whole period of their life.

Another risk is that one person might be faithful, while the other is not. While this is a risk in any romantic relationship, it's a much bigger risk due to the ease with which it can be carried out. It's not difficult at all to cheat on someone who lives too far away to have any idea what is going on. If it's just one person doing the cheating, it's almost as if the long distance relationship only exists for them, which means they are bearing all the burden that goes along with the heartache of long distance love.

Another risk is that one or both people in the relationship will be miserable all the time. This happens because they find themselves wanting to physically be with the other person, but unable due to distance between them. The result can be a constant pining for that which cannot be had, and two very sad and frustrated people.

Also, there is the cost of a long distance relationship, and when money is involved, there is always risk. Certainly the advent of Skype and other online ways to talk to people who are far away have made doing so much cheaper or in some cases free, it hasn't eliminated the desire for people who are separated to send each other things to demonstrate their feelings. The things, and the sending of them can add up quickly, especially if it evolves to expensive things like jewelry.

In a similar vein, with long distance relationships there is always the risk that the whole thing is a fraud and the person you thought loved you, really wanted nothing more than to scam you out of your money.

And finally, with long distance relationships there is always the risk that one person will be more into the relationship than the other, simply because of the nature of such relationships. If you're the one that is always pining or sending gifts or calling the other person, then you're also the one most likely to get hurt if things don't work out, which is very likely, because most long distance relationships don't.