Technology truly is a two-faced entity: on the one hand it gives, and on the other it takes away. So it is with cheating on a partner, which is now much easier to do, but also much easier to get caught doing so.

Most of us now own various pieces of technology such as a games console, a computer, and a mobile phone, that allow us to communicate with more people more easily than ever before. Which inevitably leads to more dalliances with members of the opposite sex, or the same sex if you happen to be gay. This in turn leads to many more opportunities to cheat on your partner, and carry on any extra marital affairs much more easily.

The only problem for potential adulterers is that the same technology that allowed you to meet these new people in the first place can just as easily turn and bite you on the bum by making it much easier for your partner to find out about what you’re up to.

An intriguing article in The Independent newspaper today explores how technology has affected the business of having affairs, with the frequency, length of time they last, and even impending divorce rates affected as a result.

The computer is the first culprit to take a look a look at. If you have a PC or Mac hooked up to the Internet, then the world is quite literally there for the taking. Email allows you to send messages anonymously to someone you know at work, or carry on an elicit affair with someone you already know.

Social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, and Friends Reunited mean old flames are much more likely to come back in to your life. These sites also offer opportunities for the more unscrupulous of us to hook up with strangers for short term encounters.

Then there is the humble mobile phone, which must surely be to blame for many an elicit encounter getting off the ground. Not only is there the obvious advantage of being able to ring a bit on the side without having to do so at home, there is also now the boon that is SMS text messaging and Bluetooth.

How easy it is to send a rude message to someone you spot on the street or in a bar. And Bluetooth even allows you to see if someone is interested before you even make eye contact with them.

And there are games consoles, which although once the domain of the geeky kid at school, are now much more associated with the 18-40 demographic who want to play against other people online. But while you’re playing, you can also be flirting to your heart’s content.

So technology has made flirting, random sexual encounters, and cheating, much easier tasks than they once were. The problem with all of these methods of communication is that that they leave traces, and so any potential cheater is also much more likely to be caught out by his or her device of choice.

In the days of letter writing and landline phone calls, the evidence would be gone as soon as sent, but that sordid email could make its way in to many people’s inboxes. That SMS message could also give a cheater away by the simple oversight of deleting it at the end of the day.

Technology has proven to be a boon for those not content to stay loyal to one partner, but it’s also meant that partner is then much more likely to find out about the activities going on behind their back.

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Entry was posted on Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 at 5:44 pm under Internet, Opinion, Technology.

Read more entries by Dave Parrack.
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