The Effects of Social Media on Marriage and Divorce.

The effects of social media on a couples’ marriage can be drastic. It can be a point of contention which could even lead to divorce. With over 1 billion people on Facebook, chances are that one or both members of a relationship are updating, checking, or changing their status, pictures, or profiles on Facebook on a regular basis.

Social media websites can have a negative impact on a relationship. Facebook, for example is such a great way to enhance relationships – to keep in touch with family and friends. But do you know anyone who spends hours in front of a computer, giving their attention to checking statuses and posting and knowingly or inadvertently ignoring their real, not cyber relationships?

For some couples, the time spent on social networking is excessive. Instead of spending time on household or relationship priorities, too much emphasis is given to sitting around looking at the computer, checking out Facebook or Twitter. I am not saying that social media is bad, however, like most things, it is better in moderation.

Connecting with people from your past can cause issues such as a lack of trust and honesty in a relationship. Writing messages is seen by many as a harmless means of communicating, but just because the contact is not personal, as in, face-to-face, does not mean that the messages wouldn’t be hurtful to a spouse or misconstrued as flirting or more than just innocent chatting. Some spouses even find out about a partner’s affairs or extra-marital activities via social websites.

Despite what some people may believe, everything on the world wide web isn’t factual. Sometimes words or posts or messages that are written are false, or simply misconstrued (just because you read it on the internet, does not make it true). Unfortunately, there are people out there who will purposely use social media to cause trouble, and there are many examples of this sinister side of social media. The many fictions associated with social media can quickly cause a rift between a couple and lead to even bigger problems (such as divorce) down the road.

Some couples may blame computer sites for their break-ups, whether they were the cause of or contributed to problems already happening in the relationship. These sites also have been used as evidence in family law courts. Be well aware that anything you put out there on these social media sites can and will be used against you in an Arizona family court or in any divorce or child custody hearing. Be careful what you post as it could be misconstrued to be something that is isn’t.

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Published By:

The Bornmann Law Group
1731 W. Baseline Road, Suite 100
Mesa, Arizona 85202
(480) 263-1699