Just like everything else in life, our increased use of new technology is changing how people have affairs. Dating apps and encrypted chat systems have made it easier than ever to meet strangers in a swipe and hide intimate messages from a partner or spouse.
But what about when someone doesn’t use them just to have the usual secret nights away in hotels and the affair is almost entirely carried out online? Here’s what digital affairs actually mean and how you can spot the signs.
A physical affair may never actually happen
This isn’t true for all digital affairs, but in many cases of online infidelity, the cheater and the person they are cheating with may never meet in person. They could never actually see the other person’s real face or hear their voice over the course of the affair. That obviously opens up a separate issue of ‘catfishing’ where people pretend to be someone else online.
Digital affairs can consist entirely of messages, voice notes, emails or conversations in private online chatrooms. In these cases, it may start out as an emotional affair that turns sexual, or it may stay deeply emotional. Emotional affairs like this may actually be seen by a victim of cheating as worse than something like a one-night stand.
Cybersex is still sex outside of your relationship
As mentioned above, people have different notions of what actually constitutes cheating, but most would agree that any form of online sexual activity with a third party isn’t acceptable. Sexting, recording sexual content or even having virtual sex over a video messaging service are now easy to do and more common than ever.
One reason that people may carry out online affairs is that it may not seem like a real affair to those involved. Sometimes, they’ll actually defend their actions by saying they didn’t meet or have physical contact with the person in question. However, these situations can have very real and damaging effects on the person being deceived and potentially on their friends and family.
How to spot the signs of online infidelity
If you suspect your partner or spouse of having an internet affair, there are a few signs that may confirm your suspicions. One common sign is that they are suddenly spending far more time than normal online or seemingly messaging someone. Additionally, if they seem to be particularly secretive about what they are doing online, or they try and prevent you from using their phone or laptop, this could be the reason.
A fairly obvious sign that someone may be digitally cheating on you is if new dating or encrypted messaging apps appear on their phone. Many people having an online affair may not be that brazen, but it happens more often than you may expect. You may also find that they have a dating app on their phone, which they claim they ‘forgot to delete’.
Get evidence of online infidelity
If you’ve spotted some of these signs of digital cheating and want definitive answers then our team of expert private investigators are here to help. Our matrimonial surveillance services can find out what’s really going on and get you hard evidence, however virtual their affair.