Most people would agree that too much time on the Internet is unhealthy. Staring at the screen of your computer, tablet or phone too long can become isolating, even when you seem to be talking to people from around the world via social media sites like Facebook.
In at least one case, Facebook is being blamed for causing a divorce. A woman says her addiction to the site ruined her relationship with her husband.
It was about five years ago, the woman said in a news article, that she began spending too much time on the site. Before long, she was spending four to five hours on Facebook, amassing thousands of friends and followers and posting numerous photos. She says she neglected her husband and children in order to appease her addiction.
At some point, the woman began exchanging messages with former boyfriends. It is not clear how close these messages came to infidelity, but once her husband realized what was going on, it ended their marriage.
This story is more common than one might think. One survey found that one in seven people blamed their divorce on social media, at least partially. Beyond the temptation to cheat online, it is likely that other couples’ relationships were strained by one spouse’s spending more time online than with their significant other, even if that time was spent innocently.
Many things can cause a marriage to end in divorce, and often it is a combination of factors. No matter what brings a person to a divorce attorney’s office, he or she is entitled to strong legal representation, both at the negotiation table and, if necessary, in court.
