Facebook Infidelity: 1 In 5 Divorces Caused By Website
PALO ALTO (CBS) -- It used to be lipstick on the collar, or maybe a seductive voicemail, but now it seems that social networking is having a significant impact on infidelity and the nation's divorce rate.
A new survey conducted by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers found that one in five divorce cases filed nationwide cited the Palo Alto-based website Facebook as the reason for divorce.
Because it allows users to easily reconnect with people from their past or meet new individuals, lawyers said Facebook has lead to infidelity in many marriages. In addition, attorneys said some people become so addicted to facebook that they no longer have time for their spouse and children.
But it's not just Facebook, as social media as a whole as having a negative impact on marriage.
A staggering 80-percent of divorce lawyers also reported a spike in the number of cases that use social media for evidence of cheating.
The legal group said it's so easy to see flirty messages and pictures that may be inappropriate since many people aren't always mindful of what they post for all to see.
Facebook was by far the biggest offender, with 66-percent of lawyers citing it as the primary source of evidence in a divorce case. MySpace followed with 15 percent, with Twitter at 5 percent and other choices lumped together at 14 percent.
Actress Eva Longoria's soon to be ex-husband, Tony Parker, was reported to have had inappropriate conversations with a woman on Facebook and via text messaging. Although he claimed there was never any physical contact, the conversations were apparently racey enough to prompt Longoria's divorce filing.
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