The Effect of Social Networking on the Divorce Process

Abstract

This study aims to examine the opinions of people who have divorced because of their spouses’ relationships on social network, and who stated that they were deceived by their spouses on internet. In the study, case study method was used since the study deals with "the people who have divorced for their spouses deceived them on the internet". The study was carried out with ten participants (five of them are male and five of them are female) living in Trabzon, Turkey and divorced in 2013 for they were deceived by their spouses in social networking websites. Data were collected by recording of the interviews carried out with semi-structured interview protocol. Data gathered by the recordings device of the interview protocols were written down. In the process of data analysis, "constant comparative analysis" was employed. Findings of the study were collected into two main categories. The first was about the types of the participants' spouses' using social networks and the second about the effects of the messages and sharings of the spouses in social networks on familial relations. The findings of the study showed that the ways spouses used social networks affected the marriage negatively. According to another finding of the study, it can be said that from the aspects of emotional, behavioural, social and psychological aspects, use of the social networks by the divorcees’ spouses affected the inter-family relationships. Certain suggestions were made based on these findings.