After the recent Coldplay “Cheating CEO” scandal, a bright light is being shone on infidelity, and for good reason. While none of us takes pleasure in seeing people experience public humiliation, I think many important lessons can be learned from this sensational story.
Cheating is a shameful act, and despite excuses, we as a society should always maintain certain standards to preserve the sanctity of marriages.
We can’t thrive if people are dishonorable without consequences. That being said, cyberbullying and harassment should never be a consequence of infidelity. People, while mistaken, ought to be afforded the opportunity to learn from their mistakes without experiencing harassment and endangerment.
But has infidelity always been this rampant?
A study on whether mobile phone penetration affects divorce rate shared something quite notable that I’d like to highlight—“The result shows that the correlation between the mobile phone penetration and the divorce rate was statistically positive significant in China during the period 2001–2016. Furthermore, the paper also finds that mobile phone penetration had the greatest impact on divorce rate in central China, followed by eastern China, but it was not obvious in western China during this period.”
To be quite blunt, willful ignorance is the only viable excuse we can rely on to pretend that social media, dating apps, and instant messaging platforms have not made cheating more accessible.
Temptation has always existed, but never has it been so easily accessible to us all.
Is it an excuse for cheating? I don’t think so. I rely on the fact that many couples in my own life are on all these apps yet remain faithful. If I were a hyperskeptic, it would be easy to challenge my claim, but I choose not to live with such a skeptical and pessimistic outlook.
If I were to take this at face value, then I would have to conclude that cheating will always remain an intrinsic shortcoming or a character defect.
That being said, how do we combat infidelity in marriage since it has skyrocketed over the last decade or so?
How do we mitigate temptation from our smartphones?
I guess the answer lies in the question itself. Mitigate temptation. If being on certain applications or platforms creates too much temptation or accessibility to cheat, it might be wise to limit access or restrict access altogether.
I think we also have to explore ideas on how to fill the vacuum that would be caused by limited smartphone use. If you just strip away access without adding something else into your marriage that is fun, wholesome, playful, and exciting, then you’ll trip and fall right back into your handheld screens.
Married couples would benefit from designing a life that fills their calendar with the right type of activities that build chemistry and maintain desire.
At the same time, having mutual goals can be a step in the right direction. People who build together often cling to and respect the connection they share.
If you would like a step-by-step explanation on how to get an ex back or to re-attract someone who lost interest, grab a copy of my ebook called Reconcile. I put this guide together for serious students of the game who want to cut through the fluff and get results in their love life. Click Here To Check It Out!
I think I speak for all of us when I say that periods of boredom and frustration are unavoidable, but we should have plans and safety measures in place to prevent us from being seduced by unhealthy and dishonorable vices.
