Cheating. We've all seen short skits on social media where the boy or girl gets caught cheating or we've seen shows where cheating was normal among the characters. Once you take a step back and think, it seems like cheating has become a normalized and an okay behavior.
"Being cheated on sucks, but I'm not surprised when it happens." -C.N., 19
First off, what is classified as cheating? In my eyes, flirting with intention or hooking up with someone else is considered cheating. Also, if you have to delete messages to prevent your boyfriend/girlfriend from seeing, the behavior is sketchy. With today's technology, it is so much easier to cheat and get away with it. Making multiple social media accounts is fairly easy and once you delete a message, it's usually gone from your inbox.
Not only is social media influencing the behavior, but also your friends. People who act alike usually hang out together. I have seen many people cheat on their boyfriend/girlfriend and their friends just act like nothing happened. When asked, they just say it's none of their business. It's none of your business to not say anything when someone is doing something wrong? Wow.
As sad as it is to see, it is going to continue to happen. Ultimately, it is someone's personal decision, but social media is part of the problem, too. When it is normalized, the crowd effect happens and everyone starts to believe the behavior is okay. See something, speak up. Don't stay quiet forever.
