【Survey of 1,004 Married Individuals】Are SNS Messages Also 'Infidelity'? 70% Feel Caution in the Digital Age

PIO Detective Agency (Location: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; Representative Director: Toshiyasu Higashida, PIO Co., Ltd.) conducted a survey targeting 1,004 married men and women in their 30s to 60s on "The Boundary of Infidelity Due to the Spread of Matching Apps and SNS."

In recent years, with the widespread use of matching apps and SNS, the ways people meet and communicate have changed significantly. Consequently, it has become easier for married individuals to have contact with the opposite sex in their daily lives, blurring the line of "what constitutes infidelity."

Many people may have felt uneasy about their spouse's smartphone interactions and harbored unseen anxieties, thinking, "Could it be...?"

Therefore, PIO Detective Agency (https://www.pio.co.jp/) conducted a survey targeting married men and women in their 30s to 60s on "The Boundary of Infidelity Due to the Spread of Matching Apps and SNS."

【Survey Outline】Survey on "The Boundary of Infidelity Due to the Spread of Matching Apps and SNS"

【Survey Period】April 23 (Thu) – April 24 (Fri), 2026

【Survey Method】Internet survey by PRIZMA (https://www.prizma-link.com/press)

【Number of Respondents】1,004 people

【Target Audience】Monitors who responded as married men and women in their 30s to 60s at the time of the survey

【Survey Source】PIO Detective Agency (https://www.pio.co.jp/uwaki/)

【Monitor Provider】Sacrisa

What are the "boundaries of infidelity" in the digital age? Perceptions of interaction on matching apps/SNS and the reality of developing real-life relationships.

With matching apps and SNS becoming commonplace, what are people's perceptions regarding their use by married individuals?

When asked, "Do you generally think that a married person registering on a matching app constitutes infidelity?" over 70% responded with either 'Strongly agree (33.5%)' or 'Somewhat agree (40.1%),' indicating that the majority of married individuals perceive registering on a matching app as "infidelity."

Since matching apps are fundamentally tools for "new encounters," the act of registering itself tends to be seen as an expression of intent to build a relationship.

Regardless of physical intimacy, the very act of seeking a personal connection with someone other than one's spouse is viewed strictly as an act of betrayal that undermines marital trust.

Furthermore, when asked, "Do you think that a spouse exchanging messages with someone of the opposite sex on a matching app/SNS constitutes infidelity?" over 70% responded with either 'Strongly agree (31.2%)' or 'Somewhat agree (41.0%),' similar to the previous question.

It appears that the majority considers personal digital connections themselves, even without physical intimacy or direct meetings, as infidelity or something equivalent.

Given this perception, when asked, "Have you or your spouse ever met someone of the opposite sex through a matching app/SNS after marriage?" the most common response was 'Neither (80.2%),' followed by 'Only myself (10.6%),' 'Only my spouse (5.9%),' and 'Both myself and my spouse (3.3%).'

Although approximately 80% responded 'Neither,' the reality showed that about one in five people had met a new person of the opposite sex through the internet after marriage.

Also, since the response 'Only myself' was about twice that of 'Only my spouse,' it is believed that a certain number of people are unaware that their spouse is meeting someone of the opposite sex.

After meeting online, do these relationships remain confined to the screen?

For those who responded in the previous question that "either they or their spouse had experience meeting someone of the opposite sex," the percentage who had "actually met in person" was calculated, yielding the following results:

Only myself: 53.8%

Only my spouse: 29.6%

Both myself and my spouse: 16.6%

Online connections are by no means confined to the screen and tend to transition easily into real-life contact.

The strict boundaries many people draw regarding registration and use of matching apps and SNS for infidelity may be due to the heightened caution about the "high possibility of leading to actual encounters."

Distrust towards a spouse and signs... What is the number one trigger for suspecting infidelity?

While the reality of digital interactions frequently developing into real-life contact has become clear, to what extent do people actually suspect their spouse of infidelity in this modern era?

When asked about "experiences of suspecting your spouse of infidelity," approximately 20% responded 'Yes (17%).'

Keywords: Infidelity, Matching Apps, SNS, Survey, Married Individuals, Digital Age, PIO Detective Agency