Some fear that technology can turn us all into cold, mechanical robots, but on the contrary, love always finds its place in this world of likes, swipe rights and heart eyes emojis.

Dating has drastically changed since the courting days of yesteryears - thanks to new technology. Now, more than ever, it’s easier to meet new people, connect with one another, and express our thoughts and feelings to loved ones and to the whole world.

Because using these digital tools have become normal for us, we often take them for granted. But if we really think about it, we’d realize that technology not only changed the way us humans perform our tasks, but also, it has greatly influenced the way we convey our emotions and meet one basic human need: to love and be loved.

Some fear that technology can turn us all into cold, mechanical robots, but on the contrary, love always finds its place in the world of likes, swipe rights and heart eyes emojis.

But for all these digital tools to do their parts in building and strengthening our love connections, they must run on good, reliable internet! We have encountered several stories of relationships being ruined by tech fails.

The most common are the messages that get delayed or don’t arrive at all. Chat apps make saying what we feel easier and gives us time to craft the perfect message, and it keeps a record of all the conversations we’ve had with our special someone (it’s the modern-day love letter). Having a wonky connection can lead to miscommunication, missed opportunities and ruining one’s perfect timing.

When going out on romantic dates, you need to make your navigation app like Waze or Google Maps work accurately and seamlessly. It is frustrating to have apps like this pin you on the wrong street or point you to a heavily congested road. Worse, an unreliable connection can leave you lost and wandering in an unfamiliar place when your navigation app suddenly cannot connect in the middle of your journey.

Is sending gifts your way of saying “I love you”? Now, it’s easier to have flowers and other items bought online and delivered to your loved one’s doorstep. Fancy a romantic dinner, the internet allows comparing restaurants and table reservations now. All these online transactions of course need a stable internet connection for it to be fully secure and hassle-free.

Long-distance relationship? Video calling now help us bridge gaps. Feeling ultra expressive that you want to share how you feel about your significant other to the rest of the world? You can post and publish your work anytime now. Feeling like bringing it to the next level, you can now beam a live video of your marriage proposal, to have all the people who matter to both of you celebrate your love in real time. But if you’re not in the proposal phase yet, you can always snuggle in your most comfortable sanctuary and bond over the things you love - like movies, music, games, or books - through the romantic warm light from your device screens.

It’s a good thing that we can do all these things today, through our devices powered by reliable internet. Smart Communications has recently announced that it is working on improving and expanding its LTE coverage to make it available in more areas across the country (more dating place options!) and make it even stronger to make mobile internet experience excellent even when indoors (perfect for romantic movie marathons!).

This network improvement program has been completed in the Metro Davao and Boracay areas and is ongoing in Metro Cebu and Metro Manila. By the end of next year, Smart’s LTE could already be in 98% of the country’s cities and municipalities - and what’s not to love about that?

This Valentines’ season, may our relationships become stronger like how Smart is boosting its LTE. But if you’re single, don’t be sad. You can always connect and celebrate with your family and friends, and if really necessary, there is always Tinder.

Happy Connected Valentine’s Day!