The world we live in today is very different from the world we lived in 10 or 20 years ago. The use of social media has skyrocketed in Birmingham and elsewhere. While it has changed the way people communicate and stay in touch with one another, it also appears to have had a negative effect on marriages.

Last year, a survey in the U.K. showed that Facebook was mentioned in more than a third of all divorce filings. Most lawyers in the United States say they have also seen an increase in the number of divorces that involve social media. In fact, one lawyer says Facebook is used a majority of the time in divorce cases where electronic information is used as evidence.

Those who have studied the impact of social media on marriages say Facebook is affecting marriages, in part, because extramarital affairs can happen more quickly. Someone can connect with an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend with the click of a button. The same is true for someone a person just met.

“It puts temptation in the path of people who would never in a million years risk having an affair,” one author and marriage expert said.

While it appears Facebook is impacting marriages, it is also impacting divorce cases. Information on a Facebook account may be used as evidence to determine child custody and alimony.

Although most people do not begin their marriage expecting that they will divorce later on, many couples in Birmingham and beyond find that they can no longer remain married. Whether or not Facebook was a contributing factor, for many couples, divorce is their best option.

Source: SmartMoney, “Does Facebook Wreck Marriages?” Quentin Fottrell, May 21, 2012