Today, I would like to discuss a topic that I believe is becoming more and more of an issue. As the years progress, I feel that cheating is becoming common. It is generally believed that cheating is more difficult with social media, but I feel that is not the case.

There was more than one occasion where I went on a date with someone and later found out that they were in a relationship. Of course, I felt horrible, and I prayed that the girlfriend did not get angry with me, for I honestly had no idea that they were together. Other times, I would question the guy about him being in a relationship, since I saw photos on social media. He would assure me that they were broken up and the photos were old. There was even one occasion where I had a guy promise me that him and his girlfriend were broken up, but I later found out that he completely lied to me.

After discussing issues with my friends, I found out that I am not the only one who has had experiences like this. I cannot figure out why one would lie about being in a relationship. If you are in a relationship and interested in taking a different girl out on a date, then it is clear that you are not fully committed to your partner. There is nothing wrong with losing interest in your partner, for that is life and we cannot control the feelings that overcome us. We can, however, control whether we choose to cheat or not.

And just to clarify, flirting is cheating. Taking someone on a date and telling them how beautiful they are is cheating. You do not have to actually come in intimate contact with a person to be a cheater. A relationship is a commitment, and any time you break that commitment, you are a cheater.

Sometimes, people will cheat because they "cannot make up their mind." My intake from this is if you cannot make up your mind, that is perfectly okay. It is normal to take time to figure your life out. It is not okay that your significant other is not aware of this. Stringing someone along with false hopes is the worst way to treat someone- please let your partner know if you are having any doubts about the relationship.

Do you still think that cheating isn't a horrible thing? Just keep in mind that once someone is cheated on, their trust in others is completely ruined (especially if your significant other has to find out from an outside source that you are a cheater). Do you really want to be that person that causes someone to fear being in a committed relationship? On top of this, it causes strain in the person's future relationships. They constantly fear that they are being lied to, and the next significant other has a weight of strain on their shoulders.

I am begging you not to cheat; please, just don't do it. It is so much better in the long run to end a relationship rather than to be a cheater.