Infidelity is an extreme line that is at times crossed within a relationship, and an act that can be difficult to bounce back from. With the advancement of technology and social media, it is easier than ever to not only communicate, but keep things private. Around 65% of Americans use social media. Thanks to the ability for phones and devices to be locked, it is facile for things to stay hidden. Some things that people would want to hide include, photos, videos, chats, comments, and messages. Although a partner may not be cheating, it is very easy to keep things private from their significant other, which begs the question, how much are people hiding? 

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A study done in 2016 tested how comfortable people are with sharing things on their devices with their partners. It looked at how many married couples were engaging in infidelity-related behaviors that were online or through social media. They took a sample of 176 families, and out of that sample, there was small population that reportedly were involved in infidelity-related behavior. The study asked couples various questions, then were asked to agree or disagree on a scale of 1-7. For example, one of the questions was, “If my spouse/partner asked me about my chats, comments, and messages to others on social networking sites, there are some messages I would like to hide from him/her.” 

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The results from the study showed that only 12% of the couples in the study reported infidelity-related behaviors, which is significantly lower than what was expected. As the individuals tested had a history of being in stable relationships, it made sense for the percentage to be low. The issue remains, however, that infidelity-related issues continue to exist with access to more social media, as people continue to hide behind the mask of technology.