Have you ever checked your partner’s phone? Many of us are worried about our privacy online but do you suspect your other half might be sneaking the odd peak at your phone when your not looking…?
According to a recent survey of 13,132 people by Amsterdam security firm Avast, one in five men and one in four women admitted to checking their partner’s smartphone. The majority of women said they had a look because they are nosy, while a quarter of those who were married were concerned that their partners could be cheating on them and wanted to play detective.
And it’s not just the women – men also were worried that their girlfriends could be playing away, especially if the relationship was a relatively new one. Sadly of those who did look at their partner’s phone, seven out of then women and the majority of men also found evidence that their partner was cheating. It is women who are most likely to tackle the issue – with the poll showing that they were 20 per cent more likely to confront their partners.
Interestingly, of those people who checked their partner’s phones, half thought that their partners were doing the same, which suggests a low level of trust.
The question remains: Is it ever OK to check your partner’s phone? Relationship expert Tracey Cox told The Independent: “It depends on what’s happened to trigger it. If you’re snooping (let’s not dress it up people, that’s exactly what spying on your partner’s personal life is) on a consistent and regular basis, your relationship is going well, your partner seems happy and their behaviour hasn’t changed to alert suspicion, you have trust issues or don’t trust the person you’re with.”
“If you sense something has changed – they are acting out of character, ‘working late’ a little too often, taking more care with their appearance, suddenly taking their phone to the loo and guarding it fiercely, putting passwords on their laptop when previously they had none or any of the other tell-tale trouble signs of an affair AND you’ve confronted them about your suspicions and not got a direct answer – then I find some discreet sleuthing understandable.”
Are you a phone snooper? Is it ever OK to check your partner’s phone?
Tell us what you think @lovestruck
