Facebook is changing the world in ways Mark Zuckerberg never expected.
One in three US divorce filings involving unreasonable behaviour last year included the word Facebook, a Divorce Online survey recently revealed.
The findings are backed by research from the American Academy of Matrimonial lawyers, which also found more than eight out of 10 lawyers said there had been an increase in the role of social media in divorce proceedings.
K Jason Kfrafsky, the author of the book Facebook and Your Marriage, points to eight problems Facebook can create in relationships, including getting back in touch with an old flame, or flirting on status updates, pictures or pokes.
Facebook can also cause problems if people air their dirty laundry or over-share on the site.
“Using Facebook to announce marriage problems, debate marital issues or rant on a spouse is only going to make a conflicted relationship more ‘complicated,'” he writes on the website Techlationships.
Developing an over-dependence on the site, or spending more time with the animals on Farmville than real-life ones, can also cause problems, Mr Kfrafsky says.
“Unrealistically comparing the new and exciting information people are posting online with the drab and boring life from one’s own real-time existence can create all kinds of problems.”
Mr Kfrafsky recommends couples discuss online boundaries for their relationship to safeguard against a Facebook-fuelled divorce.
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