As an online divorce review site, we like to keep up with what’s going on in the world of divorce and relationships because it can be beneficial to you, the reader. One of the things we see turn up a lot online is the question of online affairs and whether they can translate into the real world.
Studies have proven time and time again that social networking sites like Facebook make it easier than ever to plan out and act on affairs. This reality was recently brought back to our attention by a post on Reddit in which a commenter wondered if he should be concerned that his wife was having an affair because she was always deleting messages from one friend, a member of the opposite sex.
To this, we would advise being cautious but trusting. Here are the possible scenarios:
1. It’s innocent, and she doesn’t want to make you jealous.
If you’ve shown in the past that you’re something of the jealous type, then it’s possible that your spouse is deleting the messages unread — or they respond to it while keeping things professional but opt for the delete button afterward not to cause any problems. Of course, the “right” thing for your spouse to do would be to say, “I think you should know this person has started messaging me, and I want nothing to do with them, and out of respect, I thought you should know about it.” But if you’re a powder keg, it’s understandable why your spouse may want to discretely get rid of the evidence.
2. It’s innocent, and your spouse is planning a surprise for you.
This possibility wouldn’t have even occurred to me had I not seen it with my own eyes over the last week. A friend was helping his friend’s girlfriend plan a surprise party, and so she was becoming all mysterioso with the messages that she got from my friend. The guy found out, got defensive, and she had to spill the beans on the surprise party. Chances of this being the typical case? Very slim. Which brings us to:
3. It’s not innocent, and there is an emotional and/or physical affair going on under your nose.
The studies are not wrong. Social networking makes adultery very easy. If this is happening often over an extended period of time, then you know No. 2 isn’t the case, and No. 1 probably isn’t either. And even if nothing physical has occurred, the fact that the emotional aspects are there goes to show that there is something wrong with your marriage. We recommend seeking professional help and trying to get your spouse involved.
If that doesn’t work, look around the site at our online divorce reviews. We can guide you to the right attorney or DIY service for you. Best of luck!