Divorce attorneys have begun to notice that as social media has become more popular, it have proven to be damaging to the divorce process.
The standard recommendation is that those going through a divorce refrain from using social media at all or even delete their accounts; however, what you may not know is that the effect of social media goes much further than that.
Psychologists, divorce lawyers, and many others can now confirm that it might even be causing some divorces.
Even if your marriage is great, pay attention to how this is happening so that you and your spouse do not end up as another divorce statistic due to social media use!
Social Media Is An Addictive Time Suck
Social media is addictive, there is no denying it.
Whether the draw is friends and family, keeping up with celebrity news, shopping, or making new friends with common interests, it can become a huge time suck for anyone who gets roped in.
Even though most people use their social media accounts to simply be social, many divorce attorneys find that it is the time suck that starts the gradual downslide that can eventually wreck a marriage.
Whether the increasing time spent scrolling social media causes the user to ignore other people and responsibilities in their real lives or causes feelings about their current situation to change, the problem usually begins and worsens once the amount of time spent scrolling starts to increase.
How Does Social Media Strain A Marriage?
Although there are some predictable reasons why social media use can lead couples to the point of calling a divorce lawyer, some are a little less predictable.
Here are some of the ways that divorce attorneys find social media use damaging marriages and paving the way to divorce:
- Relationship Neglect - In what is a very ironic situation, many social media users suffering from FOMO or the Fear of Missing Out of getting their fix online while ignoring their spouses, resulting in neglect in the relationship. Rather than living through someone else’s events, the better thing to do would be to create those experiences with their actual spouse and family to keep everyone happy, engaged, and developing closer bonds.
- Jealousy - Beyond the jealousy caused by the time suck that social media use causes, actual jealousy due to attention spent on other people, likes on certain posts, and other interactions with other people can cause jealousy as well.
- Distrust - Where there is jealousy, there is many times distrust; a spouse who starts to feel ignored or unappreciated due to social media use can also start to question the relationship and their spouse’s opinions and intents. Distrust can become a highly destructive force in any marriage as it extends far beyond social media and into every aspect of the relationship.
- Infidelity - Although many argue that it is not the actual cause of infidelity and that a straying spouse would do so anyway, social media use makes infidelity easier. Divorce lawyers find that it may interfere in a couple’s ability to acknowledge and deal with their relationship problems in productive ways when the temptation of someone else or a perceived better situation is so easy to access online.
Minimize Social Media Use To Protect Your Marriage
While there is no doubt that there are many positives to using social media, it is essential that people also recognize the significant part it can play in damaging relationships, too.
Divorce attorneys warn all couples, whether the relationship is healthy or strained, to use social media in moderation and to be open with your spouse about using it.
Lawyers recommend avoiding getting pulled into the time suck that is social media, not keeping secrets about what is happening on there and keeping social media habits open with spouses to avoid suspicion and maintain healthier relationships.
Most importantly, couples should have their own great times together rather than living the social posts of others.
Using social media openly and in moderation is the best advice to maintain a happy, healthy marriage!
