How much do you think the internet has helped increase infidelity?

[Lowconfidence]

People will say a person will cheat no matter what. It's in their moral codes.

 

But the internet has made cheating so much easier. Accounts on Lavalife, POF, various dating websites, Craigslist ads, Facebook, Twitter, escort ads, reviews, Email, chat rooms. Wow, you don't have to leave the house in order to find a fling. Not like before.

[waveseer]

True, but someone still has to leave their house to enact the fling.

[Cognitive_Canine]

I think if there wasn't the internet, cheaters would be just as capable.

 

I'm not concerned with my boyfriend's internet use.

[yeawutever]

Online is not cheaing in my view, well unless you really had the intention of meeting the person in real life and then proceed on going all the way there to have sex with them.

[Jd1983]

I agree that the internet is helpful for those who plan on cheating. However, unless a person chooses to stray, you won't have to worry as much on it. That's just my opinion.

[coldplay.]

Online is not cheaing in my view, well unless you really had the intention of meeting the person in real life and then proceed on going all the way there to have sex with them.

 

Finding out someones "intentions" is pretty much impossible, only him/her and god know that question.

 

If your SO is on a dating site, thats reason enough for me personally to become upset.

[HouseKitten]

Depends what kind of online activity you personally view as cheating.

 

Some people will say cybersex isn't cheating, others don't stand for it.

 

Putting yourself up on a dating site technically isn't actually infidelity, but it's as good as saying 'I want to cheat'.

 

How about the emotional bonds people form with others through online gaming?

 

But, although the internet creates a broader variety of ways to cheat, I think if someone was likely to do so then they would, internet or no internet.

[steve33]

People will say a person will cheat no matter what. It's in their moral codes.

 

But the internet has made cheating so much easier. Accounts on Lavalife, POF, various dating websites, Craigslist ads, Facebook, Twitter, escort ads, reviews, Email, chat rooms. Wow, you don't have to leave the house in order to find a fling. Not like before.

 

But you still need to meet the person to cheat in the old fashioned sense. People have always cheated and always will. I think the internet has made people more exhibitionist, so one day female politicians will have sex vids and naked pics of them somewhere on the internet that will be used against them.

[yeawutever]

True Housekitten it really depends on how each person defines cheating as. To me cheating is only if you actually physically cheated in real life with the other person.

[Crazyaboutdogs]

But you still need to meet the person to cheat in the old fashioned sense. People have always cheated and always will. I think the internet has made people more exhibitionist, so one day female politicians will have sex vids and naked pics of them somewhere on the internet that will be used against them.

 

Not only politicians, but in any walk of life. With women so eager to send pictures of themselves naked to their boyfriend...20 years from now when that woman is married to someone else, who knows how those pictures will resurface and even if her children will end up seeing them.

[Wolf_22]

People will say --

 

"People" say a lot of crap. Stay away from the perspective's' and maintain perspective, instead.

 

-- a person will cheat no matter what. It's in their moral codes.

 

What exactly do you mean by saying "no matter what?" Nobody's life depends on adultery or being unfaithful. My dad always says that if someone wants to break into your house, they'll find a way to do it. With that being said, I would always say to him, "well, it would be best to stay as far away from those people as possible, then, right?"

 

But the internet has made cheating so much easier.

 

...And guns make it simpler to kill people, but in the end, we need to acknowledge the true underlying root-cause because it has nothing to do with the tool being used.

 

Accounts on Lavalife, POF, various dating websites, Craigslist ads, Facebook, Twitter, escort ads, reviews, Email, chat rooms. Wow, you don't have to leave the house in order to find a fling. Not like before.

 

Your point being? In the end, the gun isn't the one responsible for the sod laying on the sidewalk with his splattered brains attracting ants and flies. People are people. They're not perfect and in all honesty, about as far from perfection as can be. They will always have these issues and always will have had these issues. The internet isn't doing anything to anyone. Sure, it's easier now to instigate crap like that, but remember, too, the grade of people (or should I say, the majority of people) who frequent those "wonderful" websites you noted. The majority constitute for people who have mental health concerns, physical concerns, social issues, etc. The list goes on and on.

 

When you begin to rely on the internet for social fulfillment, that's when you should begin to acknowledge your deteriorating social investments.

 

In short, get outside and "meet" people and stop relying on the internet to protect you from your lack of perfection (not you, OP; I'm speaking in general).

[laisla]

i think yes, it did. when you think back to previous times when the wife was usually at home and the man was usually out at work, well now it's more different and the wife has the opportunity to go online and have an affair. she doesn't have to leave the house or invite anybody over - the neighbours would see. yes i do think the internet has changed cheating.

[coldplay.]

I thinks its because the internet puts an impersonal medium between real people.

 

People fantasize every day about people that arnt their SO, it isnt cheating.

 

The computer creates an extension of the mind, a personal experience between you and a machine that can let you do almost anything within the mind. So instead of fantasizing about the women on the street, or the sexy fireman, which are all done within the mind, or if you so choose the body by approaching that person of your desire. The computer is the same, but just exists outside of the mind, but most of the time people try to keep their 'computer privacy' to themselves.

 

Going back to fantasizing, what if the person you are fantasizing about has interest in you? How do you now deal with that. I bet you would weigh the possibilities, i think everyone would.

 

A dating site creates that kind of atmosphere, instead of "the girl at the office who struts her stuff around me, and i slept with" there is a dating site, which everyone on there obviously has a desire to date or do whatever else with another person.

 

So being on a dating site, means there is a desire to see whats out there, i dont believe there is an innocent response to this.

 

For the original question, the internet facilitates cheating? I believe that the desire to cheat if a person does cheat, is always there, its just that the internet removes some inhibitions, in the privacy of your own home instead of hours at a bar or what not you can meet women or men.

 

The internet is a tool, created to help mankind in whatever they wish it to do.

 

Does a hammer increase the productivity of a carpenter, sure it does.

 

Does a hammer increase the ability of a terrible person to kill puppies, sure it does.

 

But does that make the hammer bad because its used in an evil way?

[Divine_Malice]

In my opinion I think that stuff is cheating. I mean if your not going to do it in person then why do it virtually. I mean asking for a nude pic of a girl is like telling some chick to strip. Cybersex is having something intimate with someone else then your partner.

 

I do think that internet has increase and helped infidelity but its not the internets fault its the people with no will power or dumbassness! lol.

[xmrth]

Yeah the internet definitely enables people. I know plenty (okay, just couple but it seems like a lot!) of people whom would never EVER act a certain way in public but flirt shamelessly online while in a relationship, between conversations and sending sexy pictures! It's like a fantasy world to them or something. They can do what they want with a real person but in a non-realistic way, it almost makes it "ok".

Personally, I don't understand it!

[servedcold]

Yes, the internet is a large enabler of cheating. This is because the first contacts can be both anonymous and impersonal. Even personal ads in newspapers carry much more risk. There needn't be any risk of discovery at all until a plan is in place on the net, which is how wayward intents slide effortlessly into cheating actions.

[offplanet]

If you consider online relationships/flilngs to be cheating, as I certainly do, then the internet has majorly increased cheating, and also, provided the temptation to cheat, not to mention, making it easy. Any one who chats online, will be propostioned, and I can imagine that for a lot of people, it would be hard to resist. I'm glad I'm not in relationships any more, as I don't know how people manage to resist cheating (including online, and including emotional affairs). Its just so freely available and on offer thru the net.

I don't understand how anyone could consider cybersex not to be cheating. I would find it as hurtful as real life cheating, and consider it just as disloyal, which it is.

 

offplanet

[tigger12]

From my experience of knowing people who have cheated, I think if you are ready to be unfaithful, the internet makes it a lot easier to take the first step.

 

It gives you more venues to meet someone. It also opens you up to more LD affairs, which can be intense and for some people cheating, easier to maintain. Just my experience from observing people close to me.

[Ms Darcy]

I agree that the internet has certainly made it easier for people to cheat. I think people can start these online 'fantasy friendships' that easily shift from emotional infidelity to physical cheating.

[jahur]

I think if there wasn't the internet, cheaters would be just as capable.

 

I'm not concerned with my boyfriend's internet use.

 

 

i totally agree here. water will always find its natural course!

 

the net has added to the excitement of cheating!

 

i have never found or had any sort of fling from the net, but i have seen the devastation it causes, the net enables the cheater to be even more unfaithful right under the nose of their partner, i.e the next room!

 

ouch!

[Shehe]

There is no doubt that the internet has made cheating more accessible. There are plenty of sites, social networking, dating services, chat rooms that make it easier for unhappy marriages to find what they lack of in their own marriage.