Internet Infidelity 10 Years On: A Critical Review of the Literature

The rapid development of Internet and social networking services in the last decade have augmented the possibilities to engage in activities online that can be classified as infidelity and introduced new challenges into the practice of couple and sex therapists. Building on Hertlein and Piercy’s literature review, this article provides a critical review of the literature on Internet infidelity published in the last 10 years. The aim with the review is to present the current state of knowledge in this field compared to the situation in 2006. The review includes research articles and theoretical papers on the definition of Internet infidelity, factors contributing to it, the impact of online infidelity on couples and families, and treatment models and issues. A discussion of implications for both future research and therapeutic practice is presented at the end of the article.