Social media is such a part of everyday life that it can be unimaginable going without it, especially during hard times. The support and connection you receive from friends, family and even strangers can be a blessing when you need it most.
When you go through a divorce, you may turn to social media to vent or seek validation, comfort and advice. However, social media also has its drawbacks, making it not the wisest place to be during this emotionally and legally vulnerable time. Anything you say or do online can become evidence against you in your divorce case.
Misinterpretation happens
While you may understand the importance of not sharing information about your love life or photos of your extravagant vacation, what can be the harm of just posting a picture of you and your children together? Unfortunately, your spouse can turn even the most innocent of status updates or photos into ammunition against you, such as accusing you of trying to manipulate the children or ruin his or her reputation. A judge does not know you personally and only uses the information available to make a decision.
Privacy is not a guarantee
You may have a handle on privacy settings and know better than to friend a stranger, but these do not guarantee 100 percent security. Policies change often and glitches can happen. Your friends may also share your posts and photos, including in private messages, and their privacy settings may be different from yours. Anyone who has access to your profile can take screenshots of your page. Once you post something, it is out of your control.
Posts are permanent
Just as you have probably told your own teenage kids, anything you put on the internet is permanent. Even if you delete a comment or photo or use an app like Snapchat, ways exist to bring things back. Furthermore, as mentioned above, your post may have already reached farther corners of the web, making a deletion on your end not totally effective anyway. It is best to stay off social media for now and seek solace from loved ones in person or through phone calls or to see a therapist.
