Relationship-Building Social Media Use
A Connecticut judge ordered a divorcing couple to share their Facebook and other online account passwords, underscoring the importance social media information plays in family court cases.
The judge issued the order in response to the husband’s revelation his wife wrote incriminating posts on Facebook about her feelings towards the children and her ability to care for them on the couple’s shared computer. Wife Courtney Gallion was also ordered to hand over passwords for her eHarmony and Match.com accounts.
In March, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers found 80 percent of divorce cases included social media posts, mostly from Facebook, as evidence in the past five years. And the evidence can extend beyond written posts to the pictures that users include on their profiles.
(http://www.forbes.com/sites/mobiledia/2011/11/14/facebook-passwords-must-be-shared-in-divorce-case/)
Perhaps we should go ahead and state the obvious. If your spouse is demanding your match.com and eharmony.com passwords, he already knows enough to make a case against you in divorce court. He hardly needs to see what you’ve been saying online.
Of course, what this article reveals is that posts on social media sites are increasingly becoming used in courtroom settings. Application: Be careful about what you post online. It can come back to haunt you.
Here’s one more subtle lesson: Be careful what you post online. It can be a real blessing to your spouse. That’s right. We often think of the boneheaded hurtful things that people post. What are some of the great things you could say about your spouse online?
A wife could post: My husband has worked so hard this week. I can’t help but admire him for the way he takes care of our family.
A husband could say: My wife does a super job bringing home some of the money we need AND making sure our home is comfortable and our children are healthy and happy. She’s terrific!
Husbands, what would your wife love for you to say about her in a place where her family and friends could see it? What words of love could you put on Facebook that would make her smile every time she read it?
Wives, what words of respect could you put on Facebook that would let him know that he appreciate him?
There is no doubt, damaging posts can and will continue to appear on FB and other social media sites. Let’s do all we can to fill the internet highways with holy, encouraging posts!
By the way, sometimes when we read a husband and wife swapping loving and respectful comments with each other, we’ll comment and tell them, “Get a room.” Frankly, later on, they probably will.
Interested in reading about Facebook and Your Marriage? Check out the Krafsky’s helpful book!