Social Media 'Encouraging Affairs' In Birmingham

13 February 2015, 09:18 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Capital has been told social media sites are encouraging people to have affairs.

A Capital study found 17% of the 150 people we asked used sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tinder and Grindr to cheat on a boyfriend or girlfriend. 

One in seven of those asked said social media was behind the reason for a break up.

Warwickshire relationship counsellor Paula Hall told Heart she has seen clients that are addicted to using the sites: "In the last five years the number of people I've seen experiencing problems in relationships because of the internet has risen ten-fold. 

"It was one in ten back then, whereas it is almost 99% of cases now.

"It can become addictive, I've been seeing clients that have actually lost their job because they've used webcams in the workplace to talk to new people."

Paula also said as a society we need to re-look at how we use these apps and sites. 

"It is appalling that we facilitate cheating with these sites. It is so easy to do. I was once at a conference and one of my colleagues showed me Grindr, and we found someone at the back of the conference hall also on it".

Mark from Birmingham became suspicious about his ex-boyfriend using social media to cheat and set up a fake Facebook profile to catch him out. 

"He started messaging my alias and told me he wanted to meet up with me. I'd even set up another phone number so I could record our messages. 

"On the day of the meet, I text him saying someone had messaged me on Facebook saying he was meeting up with him - but he then sent my alias a message saying he couldn't believe that he had done that.

"I confronted him and we ended the relationship."