Accountability on the Internet is important whether you’re married or not… but for those of us who are hitched… it’s not just important, it’s all but mandatory. For the married person, accountability is easy. You’ve got a built-in accountability partner!
If I ever screw up my marriage… I want it to be for something half-way worthwhile… not some stupid internet stunt. That’s why I let my wife have full access to my online life. I have no secrets online. <strong>Here’s some of my suggestions:</strong>
<h3>I believe it’s very important for your spouse to know what you’re doing online.</h3>
I’m not saying they need to be checking your browsing history every moment of the day… but they should be able to any time they wish.
<h3>Your spouse should be able to access your email account.</h3>
Does your wife or husband have your password? Mine does. I don’t think she’s ever used it… but she could if she wanted to.
<h3>Your spouse should be able to get all up in your cell phone.</h3>
This includes photos, call history, chat, email messages. My phone is not locked. Jenn can see anything she wants. I have nothing to hide… except for bad spelling in text messages.
<h3>If something weird happens, your spouse should be told.</h3>
Did you click on something in Facebook that launched one thousand dirty pop-ups? Did a friend send a seedy image? Did an over zealous female try to start someone online? Delete it or stop it and share it with your spouse.
<h3>The computer should be in a high-traffic area.</h3>
It’s hard to get into trouble online if you aren’t alone with the internets.
<h3>Don’t chat.</h3>
Visiting random chatrooms is not a great idea for anyone honestly… but especially married people. That’s why I like Twitter. You can talk to folks… but it’s public. Even private messages are archived. I’ve been known to chat back and forth with co-workers and friends using Google Chat… but that keeps a written record of every chat that my wife could scan at anytime. I just don’t believe it’s a good idea to use software that allows for random connections in a one-on-one situation.