New Delhi: The latest segment of the American show CBS Mornings broke down what counts as cheating in 2026, compiling a list of five acts that definitely count as cheating.
The question of cheating has entered a huge grey area in the age of the internet, with several new ways of detecting “micro-cheating”. Perhaps it involves liking an ex’s social media post or sliding into a stranger’s DMs while being in a relationship. Or it is keeping a dating app installed on your phone long after entering a relationship.
However, according to the show, a series of ongoing flirtatious texts, late-night calls behind your partner’s back, maintaining a dating app, followed by fake contact names, and lastly, deleting messages off your phone were on top of the list.
A 2017 CBS Philadelphia report based on a YouGov survey found that most respondents agreed on kissing and intercourse as the final nail in the coffin when it comes to cheating. However, as society has advanced toward the digital age, these questions have become far more complicated. Now, “micro-cheating” has entered the realm; it refers to forming a connection with a person or a bot online.
Cheating in 2026 could be commenting hearts under an ex’s post or even stalking someone online. So far, “micro-cheating” is fluid and without a proper definition. Boundaries exist around inappropriate digital intimacy and what is considered soft infidelity.
However, CBS Mornings hosts found that most young people consider forming an intimate connection with someone more incriminating than actual physical intercourse; the former is much harder to move on from. Forming a deep connection with someone else can sometimes be viewed as more difficult to forgive than a purely physical encounter, perhaps because emotional betrayal can linger long after the physical act is over. Keeping mementoes from past relationships also falls under the cheating category in some cases.
In 2026, the question around cheating might warrant a longer conversation and rulebook.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)