Posted on 12/02/2010 7:25:10 AM PST by SeekAndFind
It used to be the tell-tale lipstick on the collar. Then there were the give-away texts that spelled the death knell for many marriages.
But now one in five divorces involve social networking site Facebook, according to a new survey by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
A staggering 80 per cent of divorce lawyers have also reported a spike in the number of cases that use social media for evidence of cheating.
Flirty messages and photographs found on Facebook are increasingly being cited as proof of unreasonable behaviour or irreconcilable differences.
Many cases revolve around social media users who get back in touch with old flames they hadnt heard from in many years.
Facebook was by far the biggest offender, with 66 per cent of lawyers citing it as the primary source of evidence in a divorce case. MySpace followed with 15 per cent, Twitter at 5 per cent and other choices lumped together at 14 per cent.
The survey reflects the findings of UK law firm last year showing that 20 per cent of its divorce petitions blamed Facebook flings.
The most common reason seemed to be people having inappropriate sexual chats with people they were not supposed to, said Mark Keenan, managing director of Divorce-Online.
Friends Reunited faced similar claims when it was launched to help people reconnect with old classmates, but the 23 million plus people now using Facebook in Britain means it is having a much bigger effect on rising divorce rates.
Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria recently split from her basketball player husband Tony Parker after alleging that he strayed with a woman he kept in touch with on Facebook.
An American minister also made the headlines recently when he called Facebook a portal to infidelity and insisted that his congregation delete their accounts
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
It's not really "at fault," but it does offer propinquity (a wonderful word that means "nearness in place or time") that would not otherwise exist.
It's normal to wonder how things might have been if one had made the right moves toward a particular person way back when.... How often do people construct idyllic scenarios involving an old flame, that look especially inviting in comparison to the usual frictions and difficulties of our everyday lives?
In the old days, it was hard to look that person up.
Now, though, "I wonder" can be satisfied by a few clicks on the mouse. Facebook and other such sites feed the temptation, and it can obviously get out of control.
It’s not the fault, it’s the means.
Of course.
And if your wife decides that she wants a divorce so she can take the kids and get paid for it, it's pretty easy to allege that you were communicating with other women on FR.
The charge won't really matter, because she can drop the unproven claims, settle the divorce for irreconcilable differences and take the gold mine while giving you the shaft.
They're going to call it "YouTwitFace!"
ba dum TISH
So help me if my wife ever joins Farmville I will divorce her. Easiest way in the world to get de-friended by me.
“Mona Smith wants you to have some vegetables from Farmville” - WHAM! NO FRIEND FOR YOU!
Why don’t you just hide Farmville instead? You can keep the friend and not have anything to do with Farmville show up.
I didn’t say 20% of all marriages end in divorce, I was questioning whether 20% of all marriages THAT end in divorce do so because of affairs exposed on facebook. That hints at 20% or more of all divorce being because of adultery.
LOL! When I first discovered chat groups I just didn't get it. I had a guy tell me he was a dancer and I took him seriously. I guessed maybe he was in a ballet troupe or line-dancing instructor or something. Then he told me what HE was wearing! YIKES!
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Fine, but before then what did Helen use?
Why dont you just hide Farmville instead? You can keep the friend and not have anything to do with Farmville show up.
Do you know if your way is possible for my iPhone app?
thanks
FL
Presumably a medium without pictures.
SnakeDoc
The article doesn’t say it’s the FAULT of Facebook, but that it leaves a trail that is used as evidence, along the line of lipstick on the collar.
It looks as if Facebook has replaced the steamy paperback novels; by allowing folks to author and participate in their own fantasies & secret assignations.
The thrill begins with Cyber sins!!!
Praise God that we can come to Him immediately, confess our sins, seek forgiveness and strength from Him - and He is faithful and does help us.
I’ll have to give it a try. I’m not sure what he did. I know he posted under my name once, which was a bit disconcerting.
Yeah, we don’t want him getting you zotted. :-)
I think cause and effect are inexorably intertwined. I suppose if a marriage is shakey adultery will kill it and Facebook may well facilitate adultery.
Like I said, spouses should INSIST that their mate have access to their compute accounts.
I suspect it just makes it easier - and more public...
Goodness, no. :)
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