After a bad breakup, more men are taking revenge on their ex by sending naked photos to other people. A practice of denigration punishable by law.
- After a separation, 4 out of 10 men admit to having made public, without the consent of their ex, images or remarks of an erotic nature exchanged in a private setting.
- Among women, 14% admit to having already done so.
- This practice, called “revenge porn”, causes the victim to lose self-esteem, social isolation, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, depression and humiliation.
Instagram, Snapchat, Tiktok… Social networks have changed the way we experience romantic relationships, including after a breakup. But how do French men and women behave with their ex in the digital age where it is now possible to track everyone’s actions and actions? This is the question answered a study conducted by Ifop for the Lemon site. For the purposes of the survey, the team interviewed nearly 1,000 people aged 15 to 34, belonging to this hyperconnected generation.
Breakup: 4 out of 10 men have used denigration techniques towards their ex
According to the results, these platforms are a fertile ground for satisfying post-separation resentment in a toxic, even dangerous way. A trend more observed among men. In fact, after a breakup, 40% of men have already denigrated a former girlfriend on social networks to damage her reputation, compared to 14% of women. Even more serious, nearly 4 out of 10 men admit to having shared intimate content from their ex to other people. Among women, 14% have resorted to revenge porn.
As a reminder, this involves publishing, without the consent of the victim, images or comments of an erotic nature exchanged in a private setting. This practice, which includes both photos and videos, often results from a poorly experienced romantic breakup. It causes the victim to lose self-esteem, social isolation, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, depression and humiliation. According to the Ministry of the Interior, “Revenge porn is an offense punishable by law.”
The survey also reveals that manipulation is a widespread practice on social networks after a separation. And for good reason, 54% of young people surveyed voluntarily publish happy stories to arouse jealousy in their ex, and 50% consult their messages without deigning to respond. “In total, 75% of young people admit to using at least one technique regarding a past relationship, with men being particularly adept at it.”
Men spy on their ex more than women on social media
Another observation: 43% of people surveyed say they have already consulted the profile of a former partner, but no longer do so today, while 21% still admit to spying on their ex regularly. According to the data, this practice is particularly common when the breakup is recent.
The team found that there were different espionage techniques. “63% of those under 35 check, for example, if their ex has viewed their stories and 57% look at a sign of an online connection. (…) Nearly 3 in 10 even go so far as to create fake accounts to observe his actions and actions with complete discretion!”
According to the survey, men are not left out when it comes to spying on their ex. This is particularly the case with the creation of false profiles (39% compared to 22% for women) and the gaze given to people newly followed by the former partner (53% of men do this compared to 38% of women).
