You heard me: why is cheating suddenly becoming something that people.. do? Don’t get me wrong, cheating’s no new phenomenon; what’s new is its sudden popularity. Why are people, who are in supposedly committed relationships, seeking to date other people? Have we completely forgotten the meaning of commitment?

“I tried Tinder for about 5 minutes, only to run into the profiles of a handful of my best friends who are in committed relationships. When I asked them what the hell they were doing on a dating app when they’re supposedly taken, they simply said they were either curious, having fun or were just doing it because everyone else is doing it,” said one of my friends about her experience with cheating guys.

“My ex traveled, cheated on me with multiple girls and then told me that ‘one night stands don’t mean anything’ because he loves me,” said another friend. “The thing is, we had promised each other that we’d simply end things if the relationship didn’t feel fulfilling anymore, yet he still resorted to cheating,” she continued.

It’s totally normal now to be asked out by someone who already has a girlfriend/boyfriend and I’ve seen it happen way too often. It happens so often that sometimes you find yourself doubting the other person’s relationship status even though you know for a fact that they’re involved with someone else. You start convincing yourself that maybe they broke up- I mean, they can’t be that heartless, right? Realistically though, why am I supposed to dig around after you to know if you’re with someone or not?

“I cheated once- my ex just made me feel bad all the time and so I did it for vengeful reasons, if that makes any sense,” said one of my friends when I asked her about her opinion. “After all, what could break a guy more than cheating on him.. with his best friend?” she continued. Yes, sometimes partners aren’t exactly the best or most supportive and taking revenge can sometimes be tempting, but is cheating ever the answer?

Let’s get one thing straight: unless you’re in an open relationship, and your partner is okay with both of you having other partners, cheating will never, in any way, be acceptable. Now that that’s cleared up, if you decide to cheat on your partner, keep in mind that karma exists. Honesty is the best policy, so if committed relationships are not for you, don’t get into one. If monogamy is not your thing, don’t get involved with someone who values loyalty and commitment. Yes, it’s that simple.