Almost half of those who use Facebook admit to monitoring their partner’s profile.
In an online survey of 5,000 people, 46 per cent said they have checked up on their partner’s page due to feelings of jealousy. Meanwhile, 47 per cent said they had used the site to have an emotional affair.
Issues involving jealousy and infidelity were relatively common among the participants, as 17 per cent admitted they were wary of some of their partner’s online friendships. Another 17 per cent claimed they had been tempted to use the social media platform to contact an ex-partner in order to be unfaithful. Due to the ease with which Facebook allows users to stay in touch with people they have met casually, 22 per cent believed it has made infidelity easier.
More than a quarter of those questioned said they had argued with a partner because they felt neglected as a result of excessive Facebook use. Additionally, 44 per cent claimed that romantic moments such as dinners or walks had been ruined by their partner checking the site and 32 per cent felt they had “lost intimacy” as a result of Facebook use in the bedroom.
The survey was conducted by the website Stop Procrastinating. Tim Rollins, the site’s research director, said that Facebook was essentially “designed so that you never lose touch with anyone ever again”. The result of this has been that “more people are falling in love on the platform, having affairs and flirting when they shouldn’t be” he suggested.
These results seem to contradict the findings of a study published last year by researchers from Indiana University. This suggested that social networks like Facebook and Twitter were not damaging to romantic relationships.
Whats needed is a more flexible way to move between relationships aka marriage is fine but let’s stop the life ruining consequences of divorce if it fails.
Most people need more than being with one person in their life and the traditional definition of marriage being one man with one women is finished clearly and it’s time to move onto deciding what level of security is appropriate for the financially weaker party should the relationship end.
You’d hope we could arrive at a society where differing, mutual, sensibly honest levels of commitment were accepted.
The other question is whether one party should expect either financial support or asset handover if they have historically had a relationship and have come from a lesser financial situation? Anything jointly worked for fine, but should you morally expect a living from another individual simply because your lot was worse and you once had it better because of them?