More and more frequently, otherwise sound marriages, are suffering from the use of online social networking sites like Facebook , and MySpace. There are no figures or percentages yet to suggest that the rate of infidelity has risen with the growth of social networking sites. However many couples, now facing a court date, are citing online adultery as their reason for wanting a divorce. The list below is a few ways to tell if your marriage might be at risk.
- Does your spouse spend a great deal of time chatting online?
- Does your spouse stay up late at night having online chats?
- Do they have themselves listed as single in their online profile?
- Does your spouse excuse himself or herself from your presence to take a phone call?
- Have you noticed any unusual increases or decreases in the amount of money in your joint bank account?
- Have flowers or other odd gifts suddenly appeared, only to be explained away as no big deal?
If any of these things sound familiar, it might be time to have a talk with your spouse. Many people believe that having an, inappropriate sexually themed, online chat is simply harmless fun, and not adultery. Whether or not online romances can be considered adultery is still to be determined, however social networking sites do tend to tempt people, who might otherwise not have been tempted, to behave badly.
Social Networking Sites are Changing Both the Way We Socialize, and the Way We Divorce
Facebook and other similar social sites are being used by lawyers (USA Today, June 2010) as a way to harvest incriminating facts to be used as evidence in divorce and child custody cases. Couples who find their spouses cheating online are quick to carry the information, gleaned from a poorly chosen status on a social networking site, offline and directly to their lawyer. If you are involved in a pending divorce or child custody battle, it would be prudent to refrain from putting potentially damaging information on your social network page.
Be Aware—Social Networking Sites Can be Used Against You
While social networking (PBS, Your Guide to Social Networking )has grown to be one of the most popular ways to share photos, information, and companionship online, it needs to be approached wisely. Many people, with otherwise good marriages, are finding themselves in divorce court. Smart lawyers are using the practice of gleaning damaging evidence from the internet as a means to prove the existence of unfaithful transgressions.
Sources:
- Leanne Italie, Divorce lawyers: Facebook tops in online evidence in court, Copyright 2010 The Associated Press
- Mark Glaser, Your Guide to Social Networking, PBS, August 29, 2007
Kelly Dupree - My love of animals, especially cats, and my interest in science has led to a serious passion to write well researched articles.
