A relationship is built on quality time that is shared between two individuals however, if that effort is not mutually shared then the relationship will experience major problems. Facebook can cause others to feel compelled and intrigued to view what others are doing – even if they are not real friends and are merely considered to be just Facebook acquaintances. Business Insider published an article earlier this year that reported Facebook has more than 1.44 billion monthly active users and each user spends on average 20 minutes per day on the social network, liking, commenting, and scrolling through status updates. However, the real thing to consider is that the 20 minutes of daily Facebook consumption is just the global average – according to Facebook’s Q2 earning last year, Mark Zuckerberg said that the average US consumer spends 40 minutes on Facebook daily.
When an individual breaks down their day into increments amongst time at work, carpooling, kids’ practices and games, dinner and other daily musts it’s interesting to discover that 20 – 40 minutes of each day is looking at the lives of others rather than spending time with their loved ones that are physically present in their everyday. That extra 20 – 40 minutes could be spent reading a book to a child, spending one on one time with your spouse or perhaps talking to your loved ones about their busy day. The thing is that people all over the world are so consumed with what others are doing that they allow social media outlets, like Facebook, infringe on their quality time.
Facebook can ruin relationships because of the temptation of connecting with another person. Many people use Facebook as a means to find long lost loves and befriend them again. It’s important to remember that people walk in and out of our lives for a reason - it’s best to live in the present and not the past. Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of reconnecting with people that are not good their lifestyle and current relationships. Therefore, exes get reacquainted and problems arise because memories resurface and so do feelings.
According to various articles, most adulterers resort to going online to cheat on their spouse or significant other. According to surveys evaluated by Brandongaille.com, 66% of attorneys said that they have used evidence that was collected from Facebook as part of a divorce case. In addition, 57% of men and 54% of women who have cheated in one relationship will cheat in future relationships, especially because of the ease of emotional infidelity accessibility on Facebook.
The world has become very digitally centralized and now relies on technology to maintain relationships. Having someone “like” a status or image equates to something more than a just thinking a post is likeable. Facebook is a place where people are connecting no matter what their relationships status is and despite the distance that separates people. And unfortunately, an individual doesn’t have to be unhappy to succumb to a Facebook affair. Brandongaille.com also reported that one in four divorce proceedings start because of the presence of an extramarital relationship and 20% of those cases of infidelity have the world “Facebook” somewhere within the filing paperwork. And more than half of the men and one in three women who have had a Facebook affair said that they were still happy within their marriage.
Unfortunately, the ability to chat, comment and message others instantly assists in provoking individuals to act out. Another huge issue that arises within couples is the overall concept of what is and isn’t acceptable to post on social media. Individuals within a relationship may get upset because personal information is leaked by their spouse or significant other on Facebook. Some people do not use good judgment and instead of keeping their life and marriage sacred, they ultimately decide to invite others into their private affairs by sharing personal information via social media outlets.
All in all, Facebook is a resource that should be used responsibly. Just like any other outlet, social media can become invasive and crippling if it’s used with bad intentions. Nurture your relationships and constantly look for ways you can bond and become a stronger base.
