
Are you wondering if flirting online is considered cheating?
The answer to this depends on how serious the flirting is, but generally speaking, it is considered cheating.
Cheating is defined as any behavior where someone expresses a physical or emotional interest in someone.
Whether it’s online or offline if you or your partner is flirting it’s definitely inappropriate.
Is Flirting Online Considered Cheating?
Flirting online can damage a relationship in many ways.
It may make your partner feel disrespected, betrayed, and unattractive for starters if they find out you’re flirting with someone.
Of course, there is a wide range of flirting actions from sending someone a winking emoji to asking them to meet up behind your partner’s back.
But generally speaking, it is considered cheating if you flirt with someone online.
For most people, cheating is any action that shows an interest in someone else. This includes emotionally, physically, romantically, whatever it is.
Some people think you have to get physical with someone else to cheat, that’s just not true.
In fact, emotional affairs are often more damaging and harder for couples to recover from than physical affairs.
If you are currently flirting with someone online, it’s important to think about how your actions would affect your partner.
Related – Here are 10 examples of inappropriate flirting when you’re in a relationship.
Examples of Online Flirting
There is often a gray area when it comes to flirting – at least from the person who is doing the flirting.
But there are also a lot of obvious examples of online flirting, which include:
- Sending winking or other flirty emojis
- Asking someone to meet up behind your partner’s back
- Liking someone’s photos on social media and complimenting them
- Constantly messaging someone with a flirty tone
- Any online activity you feel the need to hide from your partner
These are just a few examples of online flirting. But as you can see, they all involve deliberate actions and behaviors that tell the other person you like them.
For me, if someone is doing anything that they wouldn’t be comfortable with their partner finding out then they’re probably crossing that line.
When Does Flirting Cross the Line?
It’s important to remember that everyone has different boundaries when it comes to what they consider cheating.
Some people are totally okay with their partner flirting online, as long as they don’t take it too far.
Others may not even consider online flirting to be cheating at all.
The best way to know where your partner stands is to talk to them about it directly.
You should also think about how you would feel if the roles were reversed. If your partner was flirting with someone online, would you be okay with it?
If the answer is no, then you need to respect your partner’s wishes and stop flirting with other people online.
The issue with a little flirting is that it often escalates – I mean, that’s what flirting is right, you’re giving out signals that you like someone.
So even if you think you’re being ‘friendly’, you also need to think about how your actions are being perceived by the other person and where it may lead.
If in doubt – don’t flirt!
The way to avoid all and any problems is to just not flirt. Even if you enjoy flirting and it’s something you did when you were single, you’re not single now and it’s time to change.
Talk to Your Partner About Boundaries
The best way to know where your partner stands with online flirting is to talk about it with them directly.
You can have this conversation at any time, but I think it’s especially important to have this talk if you enjoy flirting online and know you’ll be talking to people online.
It’s only fair that you let your partner know what you’re up to. The last thing you want is for them to be wondering what you’re doing and feeling like you’re hiding things from them.
Related – Insights into online dating and how to describe yourself in just three words!
Your Partner Deserves All of Your Romantic Energy!
At the end of the day, you’re in a committed relationship with your partner for a reason. They are the person you want to be with and share your life with.
That means they deserve all of your romantic energy!
If you’re flirting with other people online, it’s taking away from that special connection you have with your partner.
It may not seem like a big deal, but it can really damage your relationship and make your partner feel terrible.
So if you’re wondering if flirting online is considered cheating, the answer is – it depends.
It all comes down to how your partner feels about it and what your intentions are.
Just be honest with yourself and your partner, and you’ll be sure to stay on the right side of things.
Image credits – Photo by Vardan Papikyan on Unsplash

Phil lives in England, UK, and has around 20 years experience as a professional life, career and executive coach. He started this blog to help others find and define their own self development journey. Blogging about a wide range of topics to help facilitate a better future.