When we feel restless and dissatisfied with our relationships, instead of working on it, we become addicted to our electronic gadgets. They offer us the kind of instant gratification and validation that's not always easy to get from our partners. is a new and more insidious kind of infidelity that was born out of the digital era of the 21st century. It used to take a long time for affairs to develop. With the advent of social media and technology at our fingertips 24/7, the pathway to cheating is fast and practically unobstructed. Take this 60-second reality check quiz from my book "Chatting or Cheating" to see whether it's just chatting or if you're really cheating. The key is whether the 3 S's are present: Shared intimacy, Secrecy and exclusion, or Sexual chemistry. Shared Intimacy · Exchanging personal, intimate, and confidential information (and/or had offline contact) with an online "friend" that your partner doesn't know about? Letting go of such intoxicating nourishment seems unimaginable. Before you are tempted to do something risky -- like leave your stable, good relationship for your exciting emotional lover -- it's important to examine what's really going on. There's a huge difference between a platonic friendship and a friendship that has crossed the line into the emotional sex danger zone.
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