As practical as it sounds, one of the first criteria of relationship formation is simple proximity, or nearness. Think about how many of your friends you got to know because they sat next to you in elementary school, lived on the same dorm floor, or worked with you at Applebee’s.

Physical proximity was once the most important factor in determining and maintaining relationships. If you were to move away from a neighborhood, switch schools, or change jobs, you would likely lose touch with old friends and eventually make new friends in your new surroundings. But modern technology allows you to interact regularly through mediated channels—virtual proximity with those who may be physically quite far away. Nonetheless, if persons are not in physical proximity and fail to establish and maintain virtual proximity—for example, if they avoid social networking or don’t have access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone—the chances of forming or maintaining relationships dwindle.