Marriage, divorce and millennials: social media

With 75% of millennials (those between 28 and 43[1]) considering social media an essential part of their daily life, it’s safe to say that social media has become a ubiquitous part of modern life. With this in mind, we are sure it will surprise very few to discover that these websites are becoming more and more relevant when it comes to divorce.

The top three social media platforms for millennials are Facebook (87%), Instagram (72%), and YouTube (66%)[2]. Worldwide, almost half of Instagram’s users and Facebook’s users are between 25 and 44 –in other words, they’re millennials. Clearly, social media is still something that’s most used by our young adults – with more than 75% of users on Instagram and over 70% of Facebook’s users being between 18 and 44, and therefore the way this quirk of the digital age features in divorce proceedings is something that affects younger generations more than any other.

The Daily Mail reported that social media has become a factor in one in every seven divorce cases back in 2015 and a staggering one in three divorces found to feature social media as a contributing factor. Although there currently isn’t any data that says these cases are all among millennials, the fact millennials make up the majority of social media users in this country means that they’re likely to be disproportionally affected.

There are a number of ways in which social media comes into divorce, from people citing their spouses posting habits as one of the reasons for seeking a divorce, to looking online for evidence of infidelity. And it’s not just Facebook and Instagram – other social media sites, programs and apps can be culprits, including X, Snapchat, WhatsApp and TikTok. With our methods of communication becoming increasingly digitised, it’s no wonder that our online lives and our real world lives are bleeding into one another.

As with any contributing factor in a divorce, social media is not entirely to blame – it’s more how we use it, and the fact that there are now digital breadcrumbs for concerned spouses to follow that did not exist before the rise of the internet. While communicating well with a partner is a key component of a strong marriage, it would seem that this communication is best done offline; something that is becoming more popular with millennials. Time offline can be all the more important due to our digital footprints being seemingly eternal, the rise of deepfakes and more litigation over the use of social media; while not a divorce case, see the Vardy v Rooney case as a prime example of social media’s role in litigation.

It can be helpful to have the advice and guidance of a family law expert if you are considering marriage or divorce. Vardags has a dedicated team of highly-experienced family lawyers who are adept at providing tailor-made advice to meet your needs, as well as safeguarding and representing your interests in and out of court. We offer a free consultation with one of our experts, so please do get in touch with us to arrange a meeting.