Archive · 27 Aug 2026
CBS Mornings Examines New Digital Boundaries of Cheating in 2026
Cheating used to mean things like kissing or having sex with someone else.
The internet has made the rules less clear.
Some people now call smaller acts “micro-cheating.”
These acts can include secret romantic messages, private calls, or keeping a dating app.
Hiding conversations with fake names or deleting messages can also break a partner’s trust.
Some people think emotional closeness with another person hurts more than a physical mistake.
Keeping reminders from an old relationship may also be considered cheating by some people.
Couples may need to talk clearly about what behavior crosses their boundaries.
CBS Mornings identified five behaviors it said definitely count as cheating in 2026.
The list includes flirtatious texts, secret late-night calls, keeping a dating app, using fake contact names, and deleting messages.
The article says digital-age relationships have expanded the debate around “micro-cheating.”
Examples of micro-cheating include engaging with an ex’s social-media post, sending direct messages, or forming an online connection.
CBS Mornings hosts said many young people view emotional intimacy with someone else as more serious than physical intercourse.
- Who
- CBS Mornings hosts discussed the issue, while young people’s views were also cited.
- What
- The show examined five behaviors it said count as cheating in 2026, including secret flirtation, hidden calls, dating-app use, fake contact names, and deleted messages.
- When
- The discussion concerned cheating in 2026; the article also cited a 2017 CBS Philadelphia report.
- Where
- The discussion appeared on the American television program CBS Mornings; the article was datelined New Delhi.
- Why
- Digital communication has created new forms of intimacy and made the boundaries of cheating more difficult to define.
- Program
- CBS Mornings
- Five listed behaviors
- Ongoing flirtatious texts, secret late-night calls, maintaining a dating app, using fake contact names, and deleting messages.
- Term used
- “Micro-cheating” describes certain online connections or acts of digital intimacy that may violate relationship boundaries.
- Earlier survey report
- A 2017 CBS Philadelphia report based on a YouGov survey found broad agreement that kissing and intercourse constitute cheating.
- Younger respondents’ view
- The article says CBS Mornings hosts found that many young people consider an intimate emotional connection more incriminating than physical intercourse.
- Additional example
- Keeping mementoes from past relationships may be considered cheating in some cases.