Does Facebook Wreck Marriages?

[Locutus]

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg changed his status to “married” Saturday and received over one million “likes” from his followers. But the site he founded isn’t always so marriage-friendly. In fact, lawyers say the social network contributes to an increasing number of marriage breakups.

More than a third of divorce filings last year contained the word Facebook, according to a U.K. survey by Divorce Online, a legal services firm. And over 80% of U.S. divorce attorneys say they’ve seen a rise in the number of cases using social networking, according to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. “I see Facebook issues breaking up marriages all the time,” says Gary Traystman, a divorce attorney in New London, Conn. Of the 15 cases he handles per year where computer history, texts and emails are admitted as evidence, 60% exclusively involve Facebook.

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Does Facebook Wreck Marriages? - Real-Time Advice - SmartMoney

 

[SLM]

People cheated before Facebook, people will cheat long after Facebook has joined MySpace in the 'where are they now' pile. And then people will move on to blame something else for their choices and behaviours.

 

[Praxius]

It's not Facebook that breaks up marriages, it's people's own personal conduct (be that past or present) that breaks up marriages.

It could be because the partner was cheating, or it could be because of past boyfriends/girlfriends/husbands/wives still listed as friends who start to meddle in your current relationship.... it could be some old photos of something stupid you did years back in college (though you'd think you'd check up on that stuff on Facebook before you married them)

It's all about your past catching up to you in an area where just about everybody can see what happened..... which could also be much the same as looking through someone's cell phone history, or someone's web browser history, or finding an old video you did, etc. etc...

Regardless of the Medium, the Message remains the same.

Then again, these divorces could be related to Facebook if it was due to someone's husband or wife being addicted to Farmville..... who knows?

 

[SLM]

Then again, these divorces could be related to Facebook if it was due to someone's husband or wife being addicted to Farmville..... who knows?

But again, an addiction is an addiction right? Does it make a difference if it's Farmville or gambling or whatever? It's still the behaviour that causes the damage.

 

[Praxius]

But again, an addiction is an addiction right? Does it make a difference if it's Farmville or gambling or whatever? It's still the behaviour that causes the damage.

True, but Farmville is on Facebook, thus one could argue that their marriage break up was actually related to Facebook, rather than information about their partner that they found on Facebook.

The way the topic and link is titled, it makes it sound like it's Facebook's fault for marriages breaking up.... kind of like kicking the messenger into the pit.

When in reality, the marriages are breaking up usually due to new information coming out about their partner.

If you don't want your partner knowing something about yourself, don't post it on Facebook and don't allow it to be caught by a friend to post on Facebook..... destroy all evidence, kill all witnesses, etc.

 

[SLM]

True, but Farmville is on Facebook, thus one could argue that their marriage break up was actually related to Facebook, rather than information about their partner that they found on Facebook.

The way the topic and link is titled, it makes it sound like it's Facebook's fault for marriages breaking up.... kind of like kicking the messenger into the pit.

When in reality, the marriages are breaking up usually due to new information coming out about their partner.

If you don't want your partner knowing something about yourself, don't post it on Facebook and don't allow it to be caught by a friend to post on Facebook..... destroy all evidence, kill all witnesses, etc.

Of course people will argue it's because of that, because they don't want to accept that their behaviour has consequences. That's a very real disconnect today's world, if you ask me. Victim mentality really.

The behaviour doesn't change from decade to decade, only the setting does.

 

[EagleSmack]

I'm not blaming Facebook for marriages breaking up or infidelity as it most certainly happened before Facebook.

However I know a real estate agent who told me that I would be surprised by how many of her clients were selling their house after their marriage failed because their husband or wife reconnected with an old HS or College boyfriend/girlfriend and their romance was rekindled on Facebook.

 

[lone wolf]

Facebook is only the medium. Dolts who headline stuff like "I just spent a romantic evening with the greatest lady on Earth" ... whose wife reads it (and it wasn't her) ... do it best

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

People cheated before Facebook, people will cheat long after Facebook has joined MySpace in the 'where are they now' pile. And then people will move on to blame something else for their choices and behaviours.

But now the other spouse can go to one spot and check his/her spounse's status to see if it says 'cheating with so&so'. They used to have to follow them and this is so much easier.