Social Media Normalises Cheating, Starting with our Influencers

In the last week, social media stars Desmond Scott and Indiyah Pollack have been exposed for cheating on their partners.

As social media has impacted people's relationships concerning what they should expect, it has also normalised toxic actions.

TikTok star, Desmond Scott’s ex-wife, Kristy Sarah, filed for divorce in Texas on December 30th 2025, after infidelity claims.

Scott put out a statement on Sunday on Instagram, claiming they “faced challenges and made sincere efforts to work towards them”.

He addressed the infidelity claims: “I made choices that I am not proud of. I took responsibility for these actions, I shared this with her directly and personally, and ultimately we decided to divorce.”

Secondly, video proof surfaced on Saturday night of Love Island star, Indiyah Pollack cheating on her three-year boyfriend Dami Hope with Twitch streamer, Marlon Garcia.

Indiyah issued a short statement on Sunday on Instagram: “I am aware of the video that has been shared online. I made a mistake and take full responsibility for my actions” “I won’t be commenting further.”

With well-known figures engaging in these toxic actions, this behaviour becomes common.

But this raises the question: has social media normalised toxicity because people are desensitised?

People are exposed to more on social media, which leads to them being desensitised. From people seeing people die on Instagram reels to people seeing gore online, more extreme situations are shown to the public.

How does this reflect on relationships?

Well, on social media, some people are praised for cheating. Trends centred around cheating on partners on TikTok reflect this.

But is this a performance for social media, or does it reflect on people’s relationships?

According to sciencedirect.com, Clayton (2013-14) found that higher usage of social media apps like Facebook and Twitter led to negative relationship outcomes, such as cheating.

Social media users argue that cheating is normalised for specific genders, mostly men.

Twitter users express this, with @snixl0pez saying: “I find it ironic that there’s men defending Desmond who cheated on his wife of fourteen years but draw the line when it comes to Indiyah.”

As a result, many women justified Indiyah's cheating as it differs from these gender expectations.

But is it right to call it a feminist move? Even though statistics show that men cheat more than women, cheating happens regardless because people want to do it.

Indiyah Pollack and Desmond Scott have taken accountability for their actions, but what do you think about this? Is cheating becoming the norm?

Written by, Hannah Gyabaah