The advent of social networking (facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Ryze, Second Life, etc.) has opened the door to easier infidelity. With a few clicks, a person can access many single or available people in a specific geographic area. It is not difficult for a spouse to maintain sites or profiles that show a side of themselves that their spouse rarely sees. There are even social network sites specifically for infidelity.

Studies have also been done on which social network site is the easiest to meet up with members of the opposite sex. The finding was that MySpace provides the fastest results. The social network sites used to make connections are not just the traditional social network sites. Craigslist has increasingly become a favorite way for people to meet. Meeting people through the internet is often easy, but it also carries with it some risks as well. Some of the innocent meetings with internet connections have turned into crimes of passion or sting operations.

Since many businesses now have pages on social network sites, it is becoming more common for people to spend time on the social network sites, even at work. A large number of the Fortune 500 companies have a presence on social network sites. The businesses maintain a presence to conduct more business. The greater exposure also means greater exposure for your spouse as well if the company allows or encourages employees to maintain a profile.

Once on the social network site, a person can send e-mail, pictures and share information. This kind of contact makes it easy for affairs to develop. Since spouses can do this at work, there is little suspicion from the resolute spouse that they may be crossing the line into prowling for a paramour. On the site, vital contact information can be obtained making it easy to connect with a lover.

Many spouses have awakened to the danger of cell phones and text messaging to as a means of infidels contacting their paramours. Cell phones are easier to track than social network sites. Although the sites make it easier to hide some of the interactions from vigilant eyes in the short run, it does not mean they are without risk. Like Moses once said, “You sins will find you out”. Besides being a way to make infidelity easier, the sites are also make it easier for people to get caught and prosecuted for their actions. Lawyers find the social networking sites a treasure trove of information that helps them in their cases.

So the next time you decide to go trolling for someone on MySpace or Facebook, remember that the ease of social contact, like the door, swings both ways. The social network sites make affairs easier to start, but also make it easier to catch in terms of courtroom evidence.

The social network sites also pose a threat to privacy. You or your spouse may not be looking for an affair, yet that does not protect you from people who are seeking an affair with you. The information provided on social network sites often opens the door for others to find out about you and make contact with you.

Since the social network sites also contain the capability of video uploading, the profiles are no longer limited to photos. The use of videos and tagging may reveal more about you than you had originally wanted. Others may tag pictures of you or your spouse that you did not know existed. The use of video upload has also led to the distribution of ‘private’ videos that you thought no one would ever see or have access to.

Some ways to reduce the potential danger is to talk with your spouse about your concerns and work together on solutions

1. Come up with some agreement with your spouse as to what information is safe to share.

2. Monitor your spouse’s social network profile pages.

3. Share passwords and access information with your spouse so that you can each check the others social network sites and profiles.

Some of the danger signs include

1. Using suggestive screen names

2. Being secretive about their computer activity.

3. Having secret e-mail or social network accounts.

4. Uploading provocative photos or videos of themselves.

5. The profile indicates that they are looking for members of the opposite sex or that they are available.