Relationship problems caused by social media are involved in almost one third of divorce cases, lawyers have claimed.
‘Digital detachment’, ‘always on their phone’ and ‘online affairs’ are just a few of the terms divorce lawyers say are becoming more common in marital breakdowns.
Other phrases cropping in divorce proceedings include ‘instagram envy’, ‘constant social media use’, ‘messaging ex-partner’, ’emotional disconnect’ and ‘influencer envy’.
The online divorce specialists divorce-online found 30 per cent of the 1,549 divorces it has handled between January to August this year (2024) contained grievances connected with social media use.
It used artificial intelligence to analyse key phrases used by clients in describing their marital problems during divorce proceedings.
Relationship problems caused by social media, including ‘online affairs’ and ‘always on the phone’ account for nearly a third of divorce cases, lawyers say (file photo)
The AI tool created a ‘word cloud’ – a visual tapestry of words – with social media-linked problems dominating the picture.
The firm’s managing director Mark Keenan said: ‘We’ve seen a marked increase in clients reaching out because of issues that started online.
‘As social media platforms continue to dominate daily interactions, they have also become a significant source of conflict in many marriages.
‘It’s clear that digital infidelity is no longer just a side issue in relationships – it is often the main cause of marital breakdown.
Couples aren’t just battling traditional issues such as infidelity anymore as the digital world has opened up new challenges (file photo)
‘We were one of the first companies to identify the growing role social media is playing in marital breakdowns and data thrown up by our articial intelligence tool is even more compelling.
‘Couples are not just battling traditional issues like infidelity and financial problems anymore.
‘The digital world has introduced new challenges – whether it is an online affair, unrealistic expectations set by influencers, digital detachment or simply the distraction of always being ‘plugged in’.’
Divorce-online, which offers clients the opportunity to start divorce proceeding online, has handled over 200,000 divorces since it was established in 1999 and dealt with 2,379 divorces last year.
