Have you ever wondered if your social media activity is more than mindless scrolling? What if a simple ‘like’ on a photo, a reaction to a friend’s post, and a seemingly harmless comment count as betrayal? The thought might sound trivial, but it legally led to a couple’s divorce in Kayseri, Turkey. Here’s what happened.

Related: Case No. 9: The Real Villain Of Saba Qamar’s Drama Isn’t The Rapist

The social media ‘like’ that ended the marriage

As reported by Haber Turk, the case involves a couple from Kayseri, Turkey, who had been facing marital issues for several years. The wife filed for a divorce, citing multiple grievances against the husband: humiliation, refusal to provide her with regular financial support, and repeated online behaviour that she perceived as unfaithful. Specifically, she pointed out that her husband had been “liking” other women’s photos on social media. This eventually undermined her trust, damaging their marriage.

The local court, Kayseri 5th Family Court, reviewed the social media evidence and agreed with the wife. The court viewed the husband’s actions as unfaithful, harming the marital bond. It then granted the wife a divorce. The wife will also receive temporary financial support of 500 Turkish Lira, alimony of 750 Turkish Lira, and a material and moral compensation of 80,000 Turkish Lira. But do you know the most intriguing takeaway from this legal proceeding? When the case reached Turkey’s highest court, the Yargıtay (Turkish Court of Cassation), it issued a decision that shocked everyone. It set a precedent that digital gestures, such as liking the posts of the opposite sex, can be grounds for divorce if they damage marital trust.

What our online actions say about our relationships

While the Yargıtay ruling may seem extreme to some, the case highlights the growing tension in modern relationships. Our online interactions with other people can threaten our relationships today. Psychologists, including Dr Peter Kanaris, often term it as digital infidelity or cyber-infidelity. This involves small actions that don’t include physical cheating but still violate a person’s loyalty and respect. In simpler terms, people also call it micro-cheating, which involves small gestures like flirting via comments, constantly liking posts of other people, secret messaging, and so on. Such actions can trigger jealousy, mistrust, and insecurity in your relationship.

Verdicts like these draw a line between what’s acceptable online and what’s not. They help hold people accountable for their seemingly harmless yet disrespectful online behaviour. More so, legal rulings like these ensure that emotional harm caused by such digital activity isn’t ignored, but taken seriously.

Featured Image Source

Related: LinkedIn’s Algorithm Bias: Why Every Woman Should Be A ‘Man’ On LinkedIn