Being in a relationship necessarily means that you’re going to share some of your digital life with your partner. How much is too much? Do you prefer no boundaries at all, or do you keep your partner at arm’s length?
Picture: Pedro Ribeiro Simões
Live with someone long enough and you can expect to share some types of data we normally consider very “personal”, such as shared bank accounts.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are apps like mCouple. This app allows partners to access each other’s SMS history, Facebook messages, calls and contacts, and even GPS location. No filter, no restrictions. Just unbridled sharing.
Where on the spectrum do you land? Do you prefer to keep your lives separate and share information on a case by case basis? Or do you let your love interest into every nook and cranny of your digital life? Which is scarier to share with a spouse, your tax file number or your Facebook password?
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2 responses to “How Much Personal Data Do You Share With Your Partner?”
Guess some of it depends on duration/stability/trust of the relationship etc.
My wife isn’t remotely techie and could be pretty much locked out of everything IT/web-based if I wasn’t around any more or was unable to communicate. So I keep all her (and my) passwords and other accesses safely stored *somewhere* that she can retrieve if the worst happens.
I most definitely keep everything private for at least the first two years. If I’m moving in with them or was getting engaged I would maybe open a shared account, but still retain access to a seperate account and both deposit money for shared stuff or something. Married is another story obviously.
Having access all of the time to everything is a definite no, and if the partner asked unwarranted it’s a HUGE red flag. I want nothing dto do with a relationship where trust can’t be established, and if that’s the only way to establish or retain it I will gladly show you to the door.
Having said that, at any time any person would be welcome to look through my phone or facebook etc, all they would have to do is ask. Giving somebody access to everything leaves you incredibly vulnerable if that person ever decides they want to use it for malicious intent.