dating

The seven social media habits that could mean your partner is cheating on you.

When you can find a date with just a swipe of a picture, it should really come as no surprise that cheating is a hell of a lot easier with social media.

And it’s been proven too.

According to a study published in the Chicago Tribune, with access to hundreds of people and countless casual dating apps like Tinder, social media has undoubetedly made cheating a lot easier.

“Social media seems to have added fuel to the fire of infidelity,” psychotherapist Joyce Marter told The Chicago Tribune.

“Former flames are just a click away and appropriate relationship boundaries can become blurry.”

But although it may be easier to cheat on your partner with social media, it can be even harder to do so without being caught.

According to Business Insiderin 2012, a UK study found that more than a third of divorces included Facebook as a reason, while in America, Facebook is commonly used as evidence in divorce court cases.

And according to a Boston University study, people who use social media are reportedly 32 per cent more likely to leave their spouse.

Cheating is a hell of a lot easier with social media. Image: Getty.
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Here are seven social media habits that may indicate your partner is cheating on you.

They stopped posting pictures of you.

Yes, not all couples actively post about their relationship online.

But if your partner suddenly goes from posting regular couples pics to none at all, it might be time to ask what's up.

On the other hand, suddenly posting loads of photos of the two of you could also indicate that your partner is trying to deal with the guilt of infidelity.

A name you don't know keeps popping up in their mentions.

When a name you don't recognise starts popping up on your partner's phone, it can look a little suspicious, especially considering you tend to meet or at least hear about each other's friends.

According to relationship expert David Bennett, if they've never mentioned the person before, there could be a reason why they're hiding them from you.

They don't want you to touch their phone.

Do they take their phone into the bathroom with them? Leave their phone face down on the table? Do they quickly hide away their phone when you walk into the room?

If you partner suddenly becomes super protective over their phone or laptop, it can definitely be a red flag.

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They start receiving constant notifications and late night texts.

Is your partners screen constantly lighting up? If you significant other suddenly starts receiving constant late night messages, there could be a cause for concern.

Night time is prime time for sexting or even sweet goodnight texts, so keep a watchful eye out.

They're constantly talking to their ex.

It's fairly common for people to stay in contact with their exes on social media, whether it be as Facebook friends or Instagram followers.

But if your partner is constantly chatting to their ex or leaving flirtatious comments on their photos, it might be time to have a chat about relationship boundaries.

Listen: Everything you need to know about micro-cheating.

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They've suddenly password protected their phone.

You go to take a photo on their phone and you realise there's a shiny new passcode on the phone. Or better yet, it's locked by their fingerprint.

It's pretty common to have a passcode on your phone, but if your partner suddenly adds one after not having one for years, it might be time to start asking questions.

They removed tagged photos of the two of you.

You tag your partner in a picture of the two of you from a party and suddenly, they remove the tag so it doesn't show up on their profile.

Ouch.

If your partner constantly removes themselves from your tagged photos, they could be trying to appear single on their social media accounts.

Either that, or they're just not a fan of that photo you shared.