The following story happens more than you think: people start talking to a former flame or friend of a friend on social media. The connection gets stronger as more messages get sent back and forth. Then one day, boom—you meet in the flesh. Passions ignite, and you're in a heated affair. Affair? Yes, affair. That's because one or both of the parties is married… well, until the other half finds out and sends them packing.
Don't believe us? A UK divorce site found that in Dec. 2009, 20% of "behavior petitions" (which is British for "reasons to file for divorce") contained the word "Facebook" in them, meaning that the site was in some way to blame for the marriage's dissolution. In Dec. 2011, that percentage jumped to 33%.
Why is the number so high? Because so many of the spurned spouses found what the report called "inappropriate messages to members of the opposite sex." And these messages aren't even hidden from view in the form if private messages—these were out on the user's wall where everyone could see them.
Another reason for Facebook being mentioned in these divorce filings was because of ex-spouses' social media friends who ratted out spouses who may have been getting a little too friendly on the site. I guess when you're trying to have an illicit fling, it's best not to do it on such public display.
Read more:
Why Facebook Causes One-Third Of Divorces