Amidst the current global pandemic, the world has slowed down and people are staying home to stop the spread – but one thing that hasn’t slowed is infidelity.
Ashley Madison, the world’s leading married dating site, reported it has been adding 17,000 new members a day in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to the 15,500 new members per day the site saw during 2019.
As more and more people have been social distancing and working from home, the site has also seen a subtle shift in the time of day when conversations are taking place.
The hours between 10 & 11am and between 12 & 3 pm have seen a significant increase in messages over recent moths, and the shift to daytime hours for affair messaging is an indicator that people are (potentially) using work time as a cover to converse with a potential affair partner.
Meeting in person may be difficult or impossible at the moment, but that hasn’t stopped members from stepping outside their marriage.
For Australians looking for a listening ear or some steamy virtual dates, the company has released a list of the country’s top cities for cyber affairs during quarantine.
This top 20 list is based on signups to Ashley Madison since mid-April 2020 on a per capita basis.
Top 20 Cities for Cyber Affairs During Social Isolation
1. Albury, NSW
2. Coffs Harbour, NSW
3. Newcastle, NSW
4. Canberra, ACT
5. Bunbury, WA
6. Gold Coast, QLD
7. Mackay, QLD
8. Geelong, VIC
9. Rockhampton, QLD
10. Darwin, NT
11. Townsville, QLD
12. Toowoomba, QLD
13. Wollongong, NSW
14. Adelaide, SA
15. Cairns, QLD
16. Brisbane, QLD
17. Hobart, TAS
18. Sydney, NSW
19. Perth, WA
20. Melbourne, VIC
New South Wales takes the top three spots with Albury, Coffs Harbour, and Newcastle, but Queensland leads the way in cyber affairs with seven cities on the list.
“These cyber affairs serve as a release valve for individuals dealing with increased pressures in their marriage and domestic lives,” says Paul Keable, Chief Strategy Officer for Ashley Madison.
“With divorce rates reported to have increased in countries that have initiated their reopening, we’re offering an alternative pathway to help people cope and ultimately help couples preserve their marriage once the dust has settled.”
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