A person can hardly read the news today and not hear some mention of social networking giant Facebook. Whether mentioning the record IPO earlier this month, or even the recent marriage of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, it pops up almost everywhere we look. However, Facebook has also been making headlines due to the fact that it has been listed as a contributing factor in over a third of divorces, according to a recent survey.
Facebook and Divorce
The survey – conducted by Divorce-Online – specifically discovered that over one-third of the 5,000 divorce filings they reviewed listed Facebook as a contributing factor. The most common complaint: writing inappropriate messages to members of the opposite sex.
These results are mirrored by the fact that more than 80 percent of U.S. divorce attorneys claim to have seen a rise in the number of divorces impacted by social networking.
The conclusions by the Divorce-Online survey also mark an increase in Facebook related divorces in the last three years. For example, in 2009 only 20 percent of divorce filings specifically mentioned Facebook.
The survey also found that after couple separate, they are also more likely to post derogatory comments about each on Facebook for their friends to read. As this survey illustrates, divorces can be very emotionally charged, which means they can get out-of-hand very quickly – which is why it is of vital importance to know you rights and options before making any hasty decisions when going through a divorce.
Source: CBS 21 News, “Divorce, Facebook style: Facebook contributes to the breakup of 1/3 of marriages,” Jesse Knutson, May 24, 2012