Felicia Holman

English 1010
Professor Dursema
August 5 2016
Social Media Impacting Relationships

In February of 2004 a social media website was created, Facebook. The site was
originally launched to Harvard Students only, and slowly started to allow other ivy league
students become members. In 2006, it was then available to anyone that was over the age of 13.
Facebook is just one of the social media sites that have contributed to divorce rates and other
relationship problems, their is also Snapchat, Twitter, and many more. Divorce rates have
tremendously increased in the past few years and over 32% have had to do with social media.
Social media makes it a click away to contact anyone including your ex. In the past it took more
effort to have an affair then in todays world. Previously you would have to go out of your way
to locate someone, and now you just type in their name. The American Academy of Matrimonial
Lawyers have seen an 81% percent increase since social media has been launched. Social media
has its useful benefits; however, society was much better off in a lot of areas without it.
James E. Katz, a professor and director of the schools Division of Emerging Media
Studies conducted a study that showed strong connections between social media and divorce
rates. There were not only connections with divorce, but also the marital satisfaction of current
couples. They looked at information to help correlate human behavior and social networking
sites. James E. Katz looked at divorce information and rates amongst several states where they
would compare couples who were a part of social networking and those who werent. The

University of Texas gathered 1,160 people ranging from 18-39 and found that found that 32% of
people on social media sites heavily, were more likely to contemplate leaving their spouses. At
the conclusion of the study it found that roughly 11% of individuals were happier in their
marriages if they were not apart of social networking. It was stated that the findings shouldnt be
considered a casual effect, but a significant predictor of divorce rates. Boston University
conducted a study people were 32% more likely to leave their spouses as well.
University of Missouri School of Journalism found that Twitter and the Whats App found
that active Twitter users are also more likely to have relationship troubles. There have even been
studies conducted outside of the United States by the Italian Association of Matrimonial
Lawyers, and the numbers are shocking. They found that over 41% of their cases had evidence of
infidelities through their social networking site WhatsApp. Gian Ettore Gassani states that social
media has boosted betrayal in Italy by making it easier, first through texting, then Facebook, and
now WhatsApp (Huffington Post Is Social Media Killing Your Marriage).
T

A new study, facebookcheating.com accredits 1 in 3 divorces due to Facebook

infidelities. The study was published in the journal Computers and Human Behavior, by
Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile and again Boston University. They conducted
individual surveys in 2011-2012 about marriage quality and social media use. Research did not
prove that social media was not to blame for divorce, but a huge link between. Additional
surveys were conducted and found that 2.18% to 4.32% increase in divorce due to social media.
In 2012, Divorce online in UK conducted a surveyed British divorce lawyers and found
that there was a 1 in 3 rate of divorces from social media related arguments. In 2011, American
Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) found that 4 out of 5 attorneys use information from
social networking sites in divorce cases as evidence. The social medial posts can help depict of

the opposing party the character from comments and opinions, behaviors such as extra curricular
activities, actions when it comes to how they may have handled a situation or challenge they
were faced with, and affairs by posting their new relationship publicly online. Attorneys state
there are several ways all the way around that social media is harming marriages. It is also
advised on how to protect yourself as the guilty party by not posting on social media when you
are going through a divorce. Several factors have been considered in the surveys of how the
others feel in their marriages and what emotions arise form social media. Several have marked
jealousy, insecurity, and other negative emotions. There were no indicators of social media
strengthening any relationship.
When you pull up divorce rates alone they seem to be declining since the 80s. There
have always been studies about why people get a divorce, so that we can find a solution to
prevent them. However, there has been a new factor considered now that social media is the
reason for divorce. According to family law firm, McKinley Irvins new infographic has showed
that from Facebook and Match.com are playing big roles in divorce rates. From stalking your
partners Facebook profile, finding out flirtations between high school sweethearts, the jealousy
and betrayal have been causes for separation. More than 10% of people say that Facebook is a
primary source for jealousy and danger. There is 15% in marriages that point social media and
dangers from it, and 16% from other relationships. It is so alarming that 14% admit to going
through their partners profiles and accounts to find evidence of cheating, whether is it is all done
by chat and virtual connections, or through instant messaging with details of physical
connections and interactions. There are several triggers that cause the other person to feel these
sort of negative emotions of insecurity from their partners for example liking everyone of an exs
photos or comments, spending all of their time devoted to their page, to befriending old crushes.

The day you commit and say for better or worse, till death do us part, marriage is assumed to be
that you share everything. When it comes to social media passwords, there are a 1/3 of
individuals that keep their passwords from their spouse. There is 1 in 10 adults that admit to
hiding messages, posts, and comments from their partners. After getting tired of sneaking around
and hiding things, and fearing that they may get caught, there is a high 10% that even go through
the extent of having secret social media accounts. Twenty-Five percent of couples argue about
Facebook at least once a week. So much fighting goes on from Facebook, that at least 1 in 7
married couples lead to such a heated discussion that divorce is mentioned in almost every
confrontation. According to the study there is a fifth of individuals that question and doubt their
relationship because of evidence that theyve found on Facebook. They have found something
that has made them feel uneasy and insecure about themselves and their partners, and only 50%
actually have the courage to confront their spouse. Again, one of the main factors found in this
study is the evidence that divorce lawyers find and use in divorce cases. From what a partner
may share online, and the top 3 are what the partners state of mind is on social media,
communications on it, and the time and events of the places.

Works Cited

Glanville, Brandi. Drinking & Dating.

New York: Harper One, 2014. Print
Halfens, Jim. Is Social Media Killing Your Marriage? The Huffington Post, 25 February
2015. Updated 27 April 2015. Web 05 August 2016.
H.G.Org Legal Resources Facebook has become the leading cause in divorce cases H.G.
Legal Resource Web, no date indicated, 05 August 2016.
Laskowski, Amy. Could Facebook use end Marriage? Com study used: social media use tied to
reduce marital satisfaction, divorce rate BU EDU, Web 02 June 2014. 05 August 2016.
Rosenfield, Elliot. Social Media Linked to Divorce, marital unhappiness
CNBC News 14 June 2014: Print