It’s common knowledge that physical affairs (adultery) are one of the leading causes of divorce, but in recent years emotional affairs have not only increased, but they’ve contributed to more divorces than ever before. Why the uptick in emotional affairs? Social media has a lot to do with it.
Now with social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, it’s easier than ever before to connect with old flames and develop new ones without one’s spouse having a clue. While social media certainly didn’t create emotional affairs since they have probably occurred for a long time, social media has facilitated emotional affairs by making them so much easier to conduct, whether people live in the same town, city, state, country, or half a world away.
What Constitutes an Emotional Affair?
An emotional affair is when two people have an “emotional (romantic) connection” with but one or both of them are in a relationship or marriage with someone else. In almost all cases, the two people locked in an intense emotional affair agree to keep it a secret.
While most emotional affairs have not graduated to sexual intimacy, they typically escalate until they involve racy or provocative language, which may be on the edge or verge of becoming physical. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of time and opportunity.
Most married couples had a very strong emotional connection before the marriage, which is why they got married in the first place. When a married couple drifts apart and one spouse seeks that “connection” outside the marriage and has an emotional affair, it can be as disastrous to a marriage as a one night stand or physical affair, especially when sexual language was used or when the unfaithful spouse talked of cheating on their spouse or being unhappily married. Often, the discovery of racy text messages, direct messages, or emails by the innocent spouse can destroy their trust and faith in their spouse and send them straight to a divorce attorney’s office.
If an emotional affair caused your breakup and you need legal advice and representation in your divorce, contact the Law Office of Dennis R. Vetrano, Jr., LLC. We can also answer any questions you might have about adultery and if it impacts spousal maintenance.