According to a new survey conducted by United Kingdom law firm Slater and Gordon, social media can be one of the most toxic threats to a marriage. Over 2,000 married Britons were polled for the survey and their responses show that often social media can do more harm than good when it comes to social relationships.
1 out of 7 married people said they would consider a divorce because of their spouse’s behavior on social media sites. 25% of those polled stated that they argue with their spouse over social media usage on a weekly basis, and 17% stated that these arguments occurred daily. 15% stated that they believed social media was a dangerous threat to their marriage and identified Facebook as the most toxic social site.
Of those polled their most common complaints were being upset about the amount of time their spouse spends engrossed in social media, their spouse’s contacting of an ex-partner, and their spouse’s sending of secret messages. 58% of respondent’s knew their partners login and passwords for social media sites, and 25% admitted to checking their spouse’s Facebook account regularly, with 14% of those people specifically seeking out infidelity. 1 out of 10 respondents admitted to hiding images and post from their partner, and 8% admitted to having secret social media accounts.
In the United States, most divorce lawyers will attest that social media has played a larger role in marriage problems than ever before. In 2010, 81% of divorce lawyers polled by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers stated that social media evidence played a mounting role in divorce cases since 2005. Another study conducted by Loyola University Health System states the Facebook is at least partially responsible for 1 out of 5 divorces in the United States.
In regards to social media usage, all couples should remember the following:
- Anything posted on a social media site may be used as evidence in your divorce or custody case
- You may want to consider a social media prenup which can legally regulate you and/or your spouse’s social media usage
- Social media sites often update their privacy policy often so just assume that everything you post is essentially public
- If you feel like social media is harming your relationship, consider closing your accounts
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John Schutz
Partner at John F. Schutz, P.L.
Representing clients exclusively in family law cases for the past 24 years, Mr. Schutz is widely regarded as a marital and family law expert. He is Board Certified in marital and family law by The Florida Bar. As a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), Mr. Schutz is committed to elevating the standards and improving the practice of family law.
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