Study: Top three divorce reasons for 2015 include social media

The top three reasons couples are getting divorced today may not be what you’d expect. Social media is a common factor with those seeking divorce.

There are trends for a variety of things in today’s society, from clothing to the types of reality shows people like to watch. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that there are also trends when it comes to divorce. Regardless of the reasons for ending a marriage, divorce is often likely to be a difficult time for in Illinois couples.

Even so, many people go through divorces every year and manage to survive, despite divorce’s challenges, such as determining spousal and child support, child custody and dividing marital assets. The divorce rate in Illinois is actually one of the lowest in the country, according to Statistic Brain, at 9.5 percent. In comparison, the top state for divorces, Nevada, is at 14.2 percent. The age group that most commonly experiences divorce includes those between 20 and 24 years old.

2015’s top reasons for divorce

This age group may reflect at least one of the current trends in divorce. Younger people are among those most likely to embrace social media as a way of communicating and connecting with others. While sites like Facebook and Twitter can be good ways to keep in touch, they may also become avenues for infidelity – or at least breed distrust. Health & Fitness Cheat Sheet has listed the top three reasons people are getting divorced this year, which include:

• Social media – Spouses often use social media to “check up” on the other partner for signs of cheating.
• Resentment – When communication problems and smaller arguments are never addressed, resentment tends to build up until it becomes an insurmountable issue in a marriage.
• Infidelity – About 55 percent of marriages end because of an emotional or physical affair.

This top three list is particularly interesting because any of the elements can be combined or interchanged with the others. The Daily Mail reports that in a Censuswide survey involving 2,011 spouses, one out of every seven considered getting a divorce based on their partners’ posts on social media sites. About one in five reported that they got into frequent arguments because of these posts. The most common arguments involved spouses who sent secret messages to others, posted objectionable pictures or made contact with former romantic partners.

Therefore, it can be said that social media may breed resentment among couples and be used as a way for spouses to be unfaithful to their partners. Does this mean that social sites like Facebook and Twitter are bad? Not necessarily, but like any avenue that makes communication easier and provides ways for people to communicate secretly, they may be used in ways that are detrimental to a marriage.

Protecting your rights in a divorce

It can be devastating to find out that your spouse is cheating or falling out of love, whether you discover this on Facebook or through any other means. If you are considering a divorce, you will need to get in touch with an in Illinois family law attorney to protect your interests.