Social media is where people today go to find companionship, share their thoughts, express their interests and interact with entire communities of people. For a lot of folks, it’s their “window to the world,” and helps them stay connected with those they love even when life gets complicated.
However, when you’re going through a divorce, one of the first things you want to do is take a long, hard look at your social media usage. Here’s why.
A rant may feel good, but it could make your divorce a lot harder
Do you hope to negotiate a relatively peaceful split? Your goal of an uncontested divorce can go right out the window if you blast your spouse, their relatives, their lawyer or anybody else connected to the situation on social media.
It might temporarily feel better to just tell everyone exactly what you think and feel, but that’s likely to make your spouse angry and resentful – and angry, resentful spouses aren’t much inclined to compromise.
You could damage the impression you give the court
Your character and maturity could be called into question if you get into a dispute over child custody, and your posts on social media could be used against you in numerous ways. Literally, anything you post could show up in court, so consider exactly how “funny” a judge will consider that meme before you post it.
Did you forget that some of your social media apps “check in” at different locations and tell people where you are? If that happens to be at a bar or a casino, your spouse may use that as evidence for why they have concerns over your parenting.
Since eliminating social media from your life entirely may be unrealistic, you still want to be very cautious about what you reveal to other people online as you work your way through divorce.