Everyone has a Facebook account these days. In fact, my brother's cat has his own account (although his updates are sadly lackluster). But along with learning who recently ate a burrito for lunch, it turns out that Facebook and other social networking sites are being named as cause for ruining many marriages.
According to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Facebook use is now cited in one in five of every US divorce cases. Over 80 percent of divorce lawyers claim that the rising use of social media has become the catalyst for extramarital affairs.
But really does Facebook cause divorce?
The thrill of being acquainted with old friends can be enough of a turn-on to spark casual conversations. Those personal conversations, between two emotionally available people, can lead to a deepened sense of intimacy which can lead to actual physical contact.
It's highly unlikely that a harmless Facebook poke is given with the idea of conducting an extramarital affair. It's more likely that these people, some of whom have previously dated, are interested in catching up on old times, and these personal interactions can lead to deeper, more meaningful connections.
These connections can easily turn sexual and suggestive, as online connections have a way of becoming more personal and emotional more quickly. If your personal partnership is no longer fulfilling you, it's easy to turn to people who "knew you way back when" and establish a new connection, rather than facing marital problems.
It's incredibly simple for online media to become a safe haven to hide from actual, real-life problems. Which is precisely what Facebook offers you. Where else can you easily reconnect with someone with whom you haven't spoken in 20 years? How much easier does it feel to type words into a keyboard rather than say to your partner, "I'm having a problem with our relationship."
The answer is, of course, MUCH EASIER.
Facebook, of course, doesn't cause divorce, but it certainly makes it easier. Yikes!
What do you think? Does Facebook cause divorce?
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Comments 32
Social media does not cause divorce, peoples refusal to face martial issues (or inability to do so productively) does ruin marriages. Before social media, and still now, people used other outlets when their marriage became hard.
My ex blames my texting (which is always strictly clients on business stuff, and during reasonable hours unless it truly is an emergency) for our divorce. I divorced him. The texting was not our issue, his rufusal to help us refind a connection between us (or even acknowledge there was an issue) killed our marriage.
Social media ceates a scapegoat, marriages have failed before, and these days are easier to end because both parties are usually much more able to be finacially independant then we ever were before.
I don't know that Facebook itself causes divorce. It's the rise in usage of social media overall. The number of hours spent online is going up steadily and while those numbers are going up the number of hours spent face-to-face with the spouse, kids or even friends is going down. So yeah people are getting divorced but it's because people are so attached to their technology they can't drive down the road without checking their facebook page, checking into grocery stores and shoving ear phones in while the little ones zone out in front of a hand-held video game. It's a wonder we haven't all turned into Zombies.
I am not against technology just the over-consumption of technology
the douchebag losers looking to cheat are the only ones who ruin their marriage. if you cant control yourself on a social networking site DELETE YOUR PROFILE.
when your spouse spends more time on a computer instead of paying attention to youand working on your relationship, THAT is what ends it, not the website. I know this from experience.
EVERYTHING in life is what you make of it. My FB is a scrap book of photos. Then it is set up for medical, politics, activism and news. I use FB to LEARN. Not be sneaky and do something downlow. FB is not responsible for the choices poeple make. It is the conduit that leads to some decisions.