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Jane Cartledge: practise safe text or cu in court...



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GR8 news for divorce lawyers but not for the rest of us – text speak is taking its toll on our relationships.
It seems the English language isn't the only casualty of careless text talk.

Nowadays more and more relationships are crumbling as we head for the divorce courts citing text messages as proof of affairs.

Then there's the trail of evidence we leave in our computers. Browser histories reveal exactly which websites we've been surfing and itemised mobile phone bills can betray every sneaky call.

We're inadvertently leaving a trail of evidence in our wake, which isn't a problem if we're squeaky clean.

But for love cheats and flirts it's bad news.

A recent survey of more than 2,400 married internet users showed that almost a quarter admitted to reading their partner's emails and text messages and 13 per cent checked their partner's web browser history.
It's no wonder people are saying CUL8R to their better half.

The survey, part of a wider research project entitled 'Me, My Spouse and the Internet', also highlights married people's attitudes to online behaviour.

Those brave (or daft) enough to take part in the survey said they would be unhappy about their partner flirting online, gossiping online about relationship troubles or disclosing intimate details.

Then there was the 94 per cent who said they didn't like the idea of their partners having cyber-sex...

I'm not sure what cyber sex entails and, having only just mastered email, I'm not in a rush to find out.

It doesn't surprise me that modern technology is taking its toll on relationships.

It seems all too easy to get – and stay – in touch with people from our past.

Social networking sites make it easy to track down people and then there's Friends Reunited which no longer charges to put people its members in touch.

Consequently this week I had a Friends Reunited email saying six different school friends (thankfully all female) had left messages for me and were awaiting my reply. Although the internet has opened up our world, it's also made it a lot smaller.

What do you think? Post your comment below.

An old lover or a school sweetheart is only a click away.

Sheffield law firm Graysons says email, text and instant messaging are becoming regular features in divorce and separation hearings.

Just ask my friend's pal who took her husband to the cleaners after his cheating was exposed on Christmas morning.

A couple of years ago the mum-of-two was cooking Christmas dinner when she received a text message. It was from her husband, supposedly busy playing with the kids in the lounge.

"Merry Christmas, I love you and wish I was with you today," it read.
It clearly wasn't meant for his wife and let's just say it wasn't a very merry Christmas after that.

Last year a married couple from Bosnia chatted each other up on the internet using fake names.

They poured their hearts out to each other over their marriage troubles and thought they had found a soulmate for life.

But when they turned up for a blind date they realised their mistake and are now divorcing.

The story made me laugh and it just goes to prove how technology makes the world go round... and in many cases how it can bring our world crashing down.

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  • Last Updated: 15 May 2008 11:01 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Sheffield
 
 

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