Is Online Infidelity Cheating?

from the certainly-sounds-like-it dept

For the past couple of years there have been stories every so often about how internet relationships are the leading cause of divorce these days. In general, I tend to think that it’s not the internet relationship that’s causing the divorce, but that the relationship is the result of other factors within the marriage that lead to one (or both) of the partners to seek outside comfort. However, now the debate is raging on about whether or not online relationships are considered “cheating”? Many people say it’s not because there’s no touching involved – and sometimes people don’t even know each others’ real names. Again, this seems like a debate on the semantics, rather than the actual issue. It doesn’t really matter if it’s defined as cheating or not, if the real issue is that there are problems in the actual marriage.


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Comments on “Is Online Infidelity Cheating?”

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6 Comments
Dr.Laura says:

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Men often get caught up in visual pornography, while women often get caught up in this type of emotional pornography.

I’ve known a few anecdotal stories of women who started chatting with someone and eventually it ruined their marriage, but I had know idea it was near 30% of these chat relationships that turn into real-world affairs.

If anything (porn, chatting with men, drinking, or even gossipping with your mother) becomes more important to someone than their spouse, that marriage could use some improvement. -filling voids/needs outside of matrimony, only makes things worse.

Anonymous Coward says:

No Subject Given

I know its uncouth to metion religious sources on a tech board, but this seems like applicable wisdom, regardless or your religious affiliation (or lack thereof):

“whososever [chatteth with] a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” -Matthew 5:28 (hopefully my paraphrasing doesn’t earn me a lightning bolt 🙂 )

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