Unpacking online infidelity: lessons from the Ashley Madison data breach
A PsyPost review of the 2015 Ashley Madison data breach shows online infidelity is multifaceted: income and urban density predict who uses the service; motivations differ by gender; behaviors fall into sexual, technology-based, and emotional categories; some users have consenting partners and report improvements in primary relationships, while others rationalize cheating via cognitive dissonance. Public demonization is linked to jealousy and age, and the breach demonstrates how the internet lowers barriers to discreet sexual activity, challenging the idea that marital dissatisfaction is the sole driver of cheating.