US survey reveals evolving definitions of romantic infidelity

A survey of 2,000 Americans conducted by Talker Research indicates that 15% of married or partnered individuals admit to having romantic feelings for someone other than their partner. The data shows that Gen Z respondents are the most likely to experience these feelings at 31%, followed by millennials at 21%. Men reported higher rates of attraction to third parties at 19%, compared to 12% of women.

The research highlights a shift in how infidelity is defined, with digital behaviors playing a significant role. For 41% of those polled, maintaining flirtatious text conversations is considered unfaithful. Other behaviors viewed as cheating include maintaining a dating app profile for validation (37%), using fake names in phone contacts (37%), deleting messages to hide them from a partner (36%), and secretly contacting an ex (36%).

Additional social and professional boundaries were also examined. Approximately 33% of respondents consider having a ‘work spouse’ to be a breach of relationship trust, while 27% view maintaining a ‘Close Friends’ list on Instagram that excludes a partner as a form of cheating.