Is sexting cheating? Polls from around the world...

This thread is a follow-up to the following thread. ATS got its say. It looks to me like about 95% of this forum considers sexting to be cheating. The purpose of this thread is to compare ATS' view to more of the world as a whole.

Is Flirtatious Texting or Sexting Cheating?

France

Two out of three French women consider a kiss is a form of cheating, while 57 per cent see sexting as being unfaithful.

French study shows a majority of men and a third of women cheat

England

35% of the 2,150 men and women surveyed in the online poll said they did not think sexting another person constituted cheating.

A third of Brits think sexting is NOT cheating

United States

Men and women believe that sexting is as harmful to a relationship as cheating, according to a new study looking at how people define infidelity.

In a YouGov poll of 1,000 U.S. adults commissioned by the Huffington Post, 85 percent of female respondents deemed the non-physical act dishonest, as did 74 percent of men.

Is sexting cheating? Overwhelming majority of men and women say YES

Canada

Canadian men and women have the same feeling on sexting: 79 per cent believe it’s cheating.

What is cheating? Men, women differ slightly on where to draw the line

I tried to find relevant polls from other countries, but there haven't been many done on this topic.

I'm often surprised by how conservative-minded ATS' posters tend to be. I expect people who are interested in conspiracies to be more open-minded than the group here often is.

At the very least, can we have more humility? To the people who claimed that sexting is always cheating, why didn't more of them make it clear that they were only giving their opinion on the matter? I believe it shows a lack of humility not to mention that you're only giving an opinion when you clearly are.

a reply to: Profusion

I will confess that I got caught up in a bit of that several years ago. It sure felt like cheating to me... clandestine, thrilling, and quite an ego boost. My wife found out, and I stopped. I promised never to do it again, and I haven't. It took us quite a while to get past it, and it still comes up on occasion (she's a dirty fighter..lol).

Trying to follow this OP..is sexting cheating?... that is besides the point of it being ill mannered and in poor taste.... cheating or not...if your current partner doesn't wish to look at your junk, find a new girlfriend if that's what the point of sexting is... and your partner let you down..?
In my opinion, the roving eye is a major form of cheating... if you cheat so should your partner...even Steven... she may have other ideas about what cheating is any how... hypothetically speaking... no, you intended.
Hope you come to a conclusion in your mind about these topics.

a reply to: Profusion

I have never cheated and I don't check out chicks or flirt with women when I have a girl in my life. It's not fair. I have been cheated on and I would never cheat on a lover.

Now I am single and in hiding. Lol

If you need thrills from the internet, you suck at being a partner.

Had it done to me, and she sucks very badly at being a human being let alone anything I could have fallen in love with. And I did love her, till I saw what sort of person she was. An evil horrid person who thinks posting her boobs in facebook groups, gets her friends.

Sucks to be me, falling for a pretty face.

Yes sexting is cheating. if you do it with someone in your life, you suck.

a reply to: Profusion

I expect people who are interested in conspiracies to be more open-minded than the group here often is.

Open minded does not mean morally bankrupt.

I believe it shows a lack of humility not to mention that you're only giving an opinion when you clearly are.

You seem to be desperately seeking an opinion that tells you it's ok to do this. It's not and your polls show most people don't think it is either. You either love a person and want to be With Them, or you are more interested in an ego boost, by seeing how many you can flirt with.

a reply to: Profusion

There is a correct answer to this question.

Do you know who knows the answer?

Your significant other.

If they say it's cheating, then it's cheating. If they say it's not, then it's not.

If you have to do it behind their back, then it's probably cheating.

England has that pedofile law, that's why it's not a problem.

a reply to: Profusion

Its a precursor to more serious infidelity so yea, its a potentially forgiveable form of "cheating" but continued occurrences may indicate assured future infidelity or past infidelity.


We dont own one another, it really just boils down to how much you care about the feelings of the person youre with, potential or actual, and discipline.


What i mean by potential vs. Actual is if your spouse doesnt "know" about any cheating, but you do. That means potential feelings within the unknowing spouse or counterpart, feelings that are being blocked by ones own self empowered deception. Seems like an escalation of "bad" behavior or simply, as Arnold would say "lack of discipline."

But who am i to judge.

a reply to: Profusion

Quit looking for an out. Obviously they were giving their opinions. Anything said, unless backed by sources, is an opinion. This site is open minded. When an open minded group says it is cheating, maybe, just maybe it is; thought of that?

originally posted by: Profusion
It looks to me like about 95% of this forum considers sexting to be cheating.

Right. And you didn't agree.
So ... we get another thread?

a reply to: Profusion

I had already posted my views on the last version of this topic you made. That being said, I think that DAVID64 might be on to something that I would like to expand upon. He wrote....

You seem to be desperately seeking an opinion that tells you it's ok to do this.

If (and I do mean IF) this is something you are currently struggling with and want to vent or discuss, you may be better served by just telling people (here or elsewhere) what is going on. I can understand that if this is the case you may be gun-shy, based on the overall view of sexting as cheating on ATS. That being said, maybe there is an odd set of circumstances that would help us understand where you are coming from... circumstances we would have no way of knowing unless you explain it. (Maybe this is the open mindedness you are seeking?)

a reply to: peppycat

I have opinions about those topics. I don't want the thread to go off topic so I won't answer them here. I have never cheated on a significant other. I don't have any intention of sexting again. I don't think sexting is interesting anymore outside of extraordinary cases (I wouldn't do it outside of a romantic relationship unless I got specific permission). I just thought this thread would be an interesting debate, nothing more.

originally posted by: DAVID64
You seem to be desperately seeking an opinion that tells you it's ok to do this. It's not and your polls show most people don't think it is either. You either love a person and want to be With Them, or you are more interested in an ego boost, by seeing how many you can flirt with.

I think this is an interesting topic for debate. In France, for instance, apparently almost nearly half of the population doesn't think sexting is cheating. Do we have to find a country where it's over half of the population before you would concede something? Is morality a popularity contest to you?

Taking the "morality is a popularity contest" view is fascinating to me. It looks to me like the popular belief on this forum is that there is no absolute morality (see the thread below). If there is no absolute morality, you can't play the "sexting is always cheating based on morality" card, can you?

What's your view of absolute morality?

originally posted by: ksiezyc
a reply to: Profusion

Quit looking for an out. Obviously they were giving their opinions. Anything said, unless backed by sources, is an opinion. This site is open minded. When an open minded group says it is cheating, maybe, just maybe it is; thought of that?

You've got the majority of the people in France, England, Canada, and the US on your side. Morality is a made-up concept so it depends on the people involved.

a reply to: Profusion

Ok fine keep looking for an out. Still cheating. Also if you didn't believe in morals or the morals set up you wouldn't ask. If you have to ask it's probably cheating.

a reply to: Profusion

It shows the intent to cheat.

a reply to: Profusion

Is morality a popularity contest to you? Taking the "morality is a popularity contest" view is fascinating to me. I

You've obviously not gone over my posting history. I say what I think, not what's popular.

You've got the majority of the people in France, England, Canada, and the US on your side. Morality is a made-up concept so it depends on the people involved.

It seems that it's only "made up" because it doesn't agree with your views. If you don't think it's wrong, why do you keep looking for others to validate your idea of "morality"?

a reply to: Profusion

Cheating is, by definition, being dishonest and unfair.

This is my opinion.

If someone in the relationship is being dishonest and unfair then it is cheating.

If folks are honest about their desires in a relationship and certain lines are drawn (and agreed to) and those lines are crossed, without renegotiating first then it would be cheating by the act of dishonesty (by definition).

Once trust is breached it is very difficult, if not impossible, to regain.

originally posted by: bbarkow
a reply to: Profusion
it still comes up on occasion (she's a dirty fighter..lol).

Good for her!

It's cheating.

Look at it this way, whatever it is - lunch, a text, a secret credit card - if you keep it from your spouse, it's cheating.

originally posted by: Profusion
To the people who claimed that sexting is always cheating, why didn't more of them make it clear that they were only giving their opinion on the matter? I believe it shows a lack of humility not to mention that you're only giving an opinion when you clearly are.

What?

You didn't include here that this is your opinion,
and yet, I don't think you need to- it is assumed that what comes out of YOUR mouth, or off of YOUR fingers,
is YOUR opinion!

I sometimes will describe opinions of others, and in those cases I think it necessary to specify that is what I am doing so as not to confuse a reader into thinking I am expressing my own.


I think your opinion here, that people should have to say that what they are saying is their own opinion, is rather stupid.
Only with a very immature listener in front of you (a child, for example, who has not yet developed their own opinions and needs some encouragement to do so). Are you a child?

Just remove the phone from the equation and ask yourself what your partner would think if you walked up to someone and said, 'I want to **** the **** out of you'.