Relationships are hard, it takes two people to make it work and two people to destroy it.
Cheating is problematic because it is a topic that couples rarely want to discuss. Knowing what one person considers acceptable may differ from what the partner thinks is appropriate, it is a discussion that couples should have early in their relationship. It is necessary to establish boundaries and discuss what exactly expectations in the relationship are. Many couples do not like to define cheating if the rules are vague and ambiguous, or not established then they can't really be broken.
Before smartphones and the internet, cheating was very cut and dry, the person had sex with someone else outside their relationship. Technology is changing our cultural norms, the availability of internet porn, messaging apps, and online forums have changed what cheating looks like.There are plenty ways to cheat and with the addition smartphones and the internet, it has become even easier to cheat. Whether its emotional or physical cheating smartphones and computers have opened the door to other ways to cheat other than the office romance.
1. Sexting
In a 2013 HuffPost/YouGov survey,1,000 US adults found that 85% of women and 74% of men considered sexting a form of cheating. Sex texting includes sexually explicit text messages, photographs, images or even photographs. The availability of smartphones with camera options that include still photos and video have introduced sexting or sex texting. There are even applications that can set up another number or email on your existing smartphone, such as Burner, Shuffle, and Hushed.
2. Affair Dating Sites
There are dozens of cheating sites that are specifically directed towards married couples. These sites offer stress-free affairs, gets you in touch with other cheaters, and some sites even offer pointers to get the most effective results of affairs.
3. Cybersex
This allows the person to experience an engaging, sexually pleasurable interaction in a safe secure digital environment. The person can engage in sexual fantasy using computer technology especially wearing virtual reality equipment or exchanging messages with another person.
4. Sex chat rooms
Websites provide chat rooms that provide anonymous space for individuals with a common interest to chat in real time. The chat rooms are set up for specific content and the person can invite an individual to chat privately.
The availability of these different sites has added a whole new dynamic to cheating. All of these options can take place without ever having to meet the person on the other end. These types of sites entice the users with the lure of anonymity. The barriers are down, a deep level of emotional intimacy can develop quickly between two people. The person engaging in these activities may be attempting to escape from stressful situations, pressure, and responsibilities with their family.It is very important in relationships to keep the communication flowing and have an understanding what the significant other needs and wants from the other person. It is also necessary to establish boundaries in the relationship, to eliminate possibilities of a misunderstanding in the expectations of the other person.
