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Social media pitfalls: Divorce and holidays
Anger and jealousy can lead people in divorce into social media pitfalls during the holidays, as an attorney from a divorce law firm trusts can attest. Before social media, we no longer had to see our soon to be or recently former spouse. With social media there are holiday pitfalls, generally arising out of group holiday photos and comments. Where a jilted spouse may be adjusting to the idea of Christmas and the holidays during a divorce, the other appears to be having the best year of their life. A few more pictures, a few more cups of cheer and things can turn ugly.
Is anyone somehow tracking your whereabouts?
Domestic violence victims are particularly cautious during the holidays. If an ex-spouse is obsessed with your life and your whereabouts, the curiosity of what you are doing and with whom you are celebrating the holidays can be compelling. A jealous person may watch to see where you check in on social media and could show up there just to cause an interaction.
Social media pitfalls in divorce and family law include the fear of being found by people who want to kidnap a child. In international and intrastate family law cases, jurisdiction and custody issues can lead to children being removed by one parent against the wishes of the other.
Turning the GPS off on your devices helps protect your location from people looking for you. If you do want to check in on social media at an event, shop or restaurant, consider waiting until you are leaving to avoid anyone who attempts to go there and find you.
Facebook privacy settings can lead to a variety of results!
Social media pitfalls include inadvertent and over exposure on social media during the holidays. When you are getting divorced you may attempt to block your soon to be former spouse. Despite your efforts you still see them in pictures and comments posted by others, likely family. To avoid over exposure, some people use their privacy settings on sites like Facebook to select which other people may not see pictures. Posting to everyone except certain other people may work well but it can also backfire. To take extra measures to prevent another person from viewing a post you might need to restrict several other people from seeing your post.
Imagine how unnecessary drama could be avoided. Every divorce is different, and you may know what is safe and what will push the other’s buttons. While celebrating Christmas and the holidays it is smart to be cautious when posting on social media.
Not engaging in trolling and making negative comments.
After the big Christmas party and poker game with the guys, Jim had a few too many cups of cheer and had too many people showing him picture of his soon to be ex with her family, who Jim believes helped talk her into leaving him. Jim comments on one smug picture of his sister in law and decides to tell her what he really thinks of her and her family. The sister in law who is not impressed, prints and screenshots the angry messages. Jim’s angry rant shows up again during a child custody hearing.
Jim may have been better off avoiding social media during the holidays, especially when he knows he is easily angered by certain people as he is still working through his emotions and the anxiety of enduring the holidays during his divorce.
