Only because I started the thread and you seem to have a problem with me. There was no intention to mislead, it was mean't to stir conversation. I have said that there has to be a problem in the marriage to begin with for this to happen, what exactly is misleading about this thread? No one said Facebook made them cheat, the article said... 'People contact ex-partners and the messages start as innocent, but lead to trouble. Looking over their options: Social networks make it easier for people to reconnect with past loves In essence, perhaps some of these problems would never have happened if not for this medium making it possible to reconnect with old "friends." Another problem would have no doubt happened. If a person is going to cheat, they are going to cheat, with or without Facebook, it just makes it easier and more tempting for those so inclined. Again, Facebook cannot be responsible for the behavior of people, but it is mentioned in 1/3 of divorces. How many of these people would have ever met up with an ex partner that they lost touch with so long ago so easily? To blame Facebook alone is again, like pointing at the gun, instead of the killer (or the knife if that irritates you.)
That's not proof, or the article even saying that the affairs have risen or that Facebook is to blame. That's just saying it's easier now for people to find out cheating partners.
Let me clarify. I said it was theoretical, therefore not evidence, but that the article did indeed bring the issue up. Aaron89 seemed to say that the topic we were discussing was irrelevant to the article, so I gave evidence to show that the article and discussion were cohesive. And anyway, Felipe started this thread I think to ignite an interesting discussion about marriage, cheating, divorce, and how these things change as technology changes. We don't need to argue about particulars, just discuss the issues as they arise naturally in conversation.
I personally have got into big trouble with FB in the past which has made me very wary of using it nowadays, so I fully understand the dangers it represents to the naive and unwary. To be honest these days a lot of employers use it to scout out people before the recruitment process, so do many other professionals making "drunk pics" a lot more malicious and dangerous than you'd expect. I deserved my trouble as I partied straight after a promotion and posted on Fbook in the early hours of the morning which I then forgot about drunkenly and tried to call in sick - my boss was none to happy. To see people have marriages broken up etc is horrible but, it takes two to tango, as the saying goes...
No one is disputing this (which is the problem I have with the premise of this thread). Facebook is only blamed because it makes evidence easier to come by, not because it somehow incites infidelity.
I agree with Arron, no one in the article is "blaming" Facebook. All it tells me is that Facebook constitutes an enormous amount of social interaction these days. It's basically like a public record of your social life for a lot of people.
Aaron89 just said that the title of the thread is misleading. I'll not repost his post because you can look up at it yourself, but he's right, the title is a bit misleading and you can't get away from that. Besides, evidence is key - it just is. To be so whimsical about ignoring the lack of evidence in place of theoretical conjecture is just silly, because the article didn't offer any evidence or conjecture. It just says that Facebook has been used, increasingly, as evidence in court.
It also said this...'People contact ex-partners and the messages start as innocent, but lead to trouble. Looking over their options: Social networks make it easier for people to reconnect with past loves Which suggests that Facebook was the launching pad for the infidelity. If for example, my ex did send me a private message on Facebook I would be courteous enough to respond to it once. We, like many had a bad split and if she was merely saying to let bygones be bygones, that is acceptable and understood. If she persisted in sending messages I would tell her real quick that it was inappropriate for us to be communicating like this and to stop. It would be like carrying on telephone conversations which any spouse might have a problem with unless it was important information about the kids. Many, however, are not happy in their current relationship and remember only the good times with the ex and continue these "innocent" conversations that soon lead to trouble. Human behavior is too complex to suggest that Facebook could not ever be a launching pad for infidelity that would not exist it it were not available. A person might be more prone to listen to a familiar sympathetic ear that they know well if they are in fact not happy in a current relationship. Still, the person commits the offense, not Facebook, Facebook just makes it easier to hook up with old ex loves, a person has to have it in their heart to cheat.
This just looks to me like the Mail turning a bit of fluff into a 'news' story once again, with a nice bit of free advertising for Divorce-Online, and some random photos of pretty ladies looking troubled in front of computers.
I'm just surprised they haven't claimed that using Facebook causes cancer yet. Then again, give them time...
WILL FACEBOOK HAVE SEX WITH THE MEMORY OF DIANA? IS TWITTER STEALING THE IDENTITY OF BRITAIN'S SWANS? WILL FACEBOOK MOLEST PENSIONERS? WILL FACEBOOK DEVALUE CLIFF RICHARD? and wholly off-topic -my apologies - just because: WILL THE MMR JAB TURN BRITAIN'S SWANS GAY? all courtesy of the good folk at http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/toys/dailymail/
Haha, love it! HAS THE METRIC SYSTEM MADE THE QUEEN OBESE? On-topic, of course Facebook makes it easier to be a crappy person, and to get caught- as did the telephone, the mobile phone, and the Internet in general. I think bullying on FB is a far more serious issue than the potential for cheating. I hate to think of kids who almost by default have a Facebook account, and who as a result can suffer bullying even when they're at home- it breaks my heart and makes me worry about becoming a parent (I'm a worrier...).
