Study: Facebook, Social Media A Factor In One In Seven Divorces

Divorce DecisionFacebook aims to be an online reflection of our everyday lives. According to researchers hired by Slater and Gordon, a multinational law firm headquartered in Australia, which also includes the end of marriages.

“Five years ago Facebook was rarely mentioned in the context of a marriage ending, but now it has become commonplace,” said Andrew Newbury of Slater and Gordon. “Social media is the new marriage minefield. Social media, specifically pictures and posts on Facebook, are now being routinely raised in divorces.”

The survey from Censuswide polled 2,011 people and unearthed a number of surprising facts. According to the study, one in seven married individuals have considered a divorce because of their partner’s activity on social media, and a similar proportion have snooped on their spouse for signs of infidelity. One-fifth of individuals surveyed said they felt “uneasy” about their relationship due to something they found on their spouse’s profile, and a full one-third said they kept their social media log-in information secret from their significant other. Given the amount of spying that evidently goes on between partners, that might not be a bad idea. So take heed, married Facebook users: if you’re wondering what your spouse might think about a picture or post, consider keeping it to yourself.