Expert issues controversial warning as new form of 'cheating' is on the rise

When it comes to dating, it’s universally acknowledged that ‘cheating’ is wrong – but what if you didn’t realise you were actually cheating in the first place?

Traditionally, cheating has always been about pursuing a relationship (be it for one night only or over a longer period) while in a committed and exclusive partnership with someone else.

However, thanks to the rise of the digital age, cheating in the modern era is a lot more nuanced, with plenty of common activities such as subscribing to OnlyFans now potentially also being considered cheating.

According to recent findings from News.com.au, a growing number of people view subscribing to explicit content on platforms like OFs as a breach of relationship boundaries.

In a survey of 54,000 people, around 50 percent in total believe that it is ‘definitely’ cheating if a partner subscribes to adult content online.

However, as one expert warned, it’s not quite so straightforward and actually depends on the relationship itself.

Over 50 percent of people believe that subscribing to OnlyFans is considered cheating (Kinga Krzeminska / Getty Images)

Content creator and founder of the talent agency Million Billion Media, Lucy Banks, explained: “Society and relationships have evolved… the level of transparency, emotional intelligence, and communication required to maintain a healthy relationship is now much higher.

“Is it cheating if your partner subscribes to someone on OFs? It really depends on the relationship.”

One of the biggest issues often stems from whether the person in the relationship is open about their subscription.

If it’s a secretive endeavour, or something they’ve actively tried to hide or lie about, then the issue isn’t so much the subscription itself, but the deception involved, which can feel like a betrayal.

However, for some people, if they are honest and transparent about their subscriptions, then that can be enough for their partner to feel comfortable with the situation, as it shows a far deeper level of trust and honesty.

Women are more likely than men to view the behaviour as cheating (praetorianphoto/Getty Images)

The survey also discovered that whether it is classed as 'cheating' also depends on what kind of relationship the person is having with the creator of adult content, and must take into account the nature of their existing relationship, but also their own personal values.

Interestingly, gender also appears to play a key role in the perception of cheating, with women far more likely to believe that it was cheating to view adult content online, compared to their male counterparts.

Roughly 61.3 percent of women surveyed said it’s definitely cheating, meanwhile, 46.1 percent of men argued that it depended on the interaction itself.