2 Ways Divorce Can Spread Like Wildfire

Research reveals that divorce can be contagious within social circles. Here's how, according to the study.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | May 12, 2025

You may not realize it, but your social circle has a powerful influence on you. The people you spend time with can potentially shape your choices, actions and even your mindset in ways you might not fully notice. This impact reaches far beyond your daily conversations but can also affect your career, your health and even your relationships.

It's not always direct or obvious, but the influence is real.

Sometimes, it could be the friend who always talks about setting boundaries and suddenly you find yourself doing the same or the colleague who treats rest as productive and slowly, your guilt around slowing down begins to fade. These shifts don't always happen through advice or persuasion. Often, it's just being near a way of thinking or living.

Surprisingly, research shows that even something as personal and life-altering as divorce may be influenced by your social network.

A landmark 2013 study that draws from decades of longitudinal data found that divorce doesn't just affect the individuals involved but can ripple out across a network. People whose close friends get divorced are significantly more likely to separate themselves and the effect even stretches out to friends-of-friends. The divorce contagion seems to spread through shared beliefs and social expectations within relationships, rather than through everyday interactions or physical proximity.

Here are two ways divorce can be contagious in social networks, based on the study.

1. Divorce Spreads Through Emotional Influence

When someone in your circle ends their marriage, it can shift the way you think about your own. The study found that divorce tends to cluster in social groups, even across two degrees of separation. This means a friend of your friend getting divorced can still increase your likelihood of considering it. So even if you live far apart, the impact can still spread through conversations, emotional support, shared vulnerability and evolving norms.

Conversations with a divorced friend may surface buried frustrations or highlight differences you had been ignoring. It may spark questions you hadn't asked in a long time, like, "Am I truly happy? Or have I just been adjusting to survive?"

This doesn't necessarily mean that divorce is "contagious" in a simple way. It's not about copying behavior but rather emotional experiences and shifts in thinking that ripple through the people you are connected to.

For example, when an old college roommate shares their post-divorce transformation, such as newfound passions, moving to a new city and a sense of personal freedom, it can stir something deep inside you and plant seeds of reflection. Then, when a close friend expresses doubts about their relationship, you might feel an emotional pull to reevaluate your connection, not out of dissatisfaction, but because a new emotional reality has been introduced — the realization that change, though challenging, is always possible.

Reflecting on these emotions doesn't mean you should automatically consider divorce. It simply means that someone else's emotional experience can trigger your emotional growth and self-exploration. It opens the door to reassessing your relationship from a place of deep emotional honesty.

If you find yourself rethinking things, here are a few mindful steps you can take to navigate those feelings thoughtfully:

• Reflect on your relationship regularly. Instead of waiting for a crisis or outside influence, set aside time every few months to evaluate how your relationship feels. Keeping this in check allows for small adjustments before larger issues arise.
• Have open conversations with your partner. If you're feeling uncertain or dissatisfied, talk to your partner about it. Clear communication can prevent misunderstandings and allow both of you to address concerns early on, before they turn into bigger problems.
• Identify personal growth areas in your relationship. If divorce has made you reflect on your marriage, use that as an opportunity to address any areas of tension or dissatisfaction. Focus on solutions that promote mutual understanding and connection.

It's your job to decide whether the doubts or questions are pointing to real misalignment or just emotional echoes. Awareness gives you the power to grow your relationship intentionally and not just reactively. Use these moments as opportunities for introspection and proactive communication with your partner to ensure that your relationship continues to grow in a healthy and fulfilling direction.

2. Divorce Spreads Through Shifting Social Norms

When several people in your social network, whether close friends, family or acquaintances, go through a significant change like divorce, it doesn't just affect them in isolation. It has the potential to shift the broader social norms around you and you may not even realize the influence it's having on your views.

For instance, as you see friends or family members navigating a divorce, something subtle starts to shift in the way you think about relationships. Divorce, once considered taboo or uncommon in certain circles, may start to feel less like a "failure" and more like a possible option when things aren't working. This gradual shift happens because the very act of others taking this step can alter the shared social expectations around relationships.

In cultures or communities where certain norms, like staying married for life, are deeply rooted, divorce is often seen as a last resort, with stigma attached. But when you see people in your circle breaking away from those expectations, it can challenge what you once considered "normal." This doesn't mean that everyone around you will get divorced, but it opens up a space for questioning long-held beliefs and potentially re-evaluating your relationship dynamics.

This shift in social norms isn't just about the act of divorce itself. It's about how the decision to leave a relationship can symbolize something larger — personal freedom, growth and authenticity. As you witness these changes, you may start to ask yourself, "What does a successful relationship look like for me? Am I living in alignment with my values and needs?"

As the norms around you shift, it's important to pause and reflect on how these changes impact your personal views and beliefs about relationships. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you navigate changing norms:

• Reflect, don't conform. Just because someone in your circle makes a major change doesn't mean you have to follow suit. Use it as an opportunity to reflect on your own life and relationships, but don't feel pressured to mirror their choices.
• Trust your journey. Understand that the changes you see in others don't mean you should adopt them for yourself. It's important to trust your instincts and make decisions based on what feels right for your unique circumstances, not because of external pressures.
• Support others, but set boundaries. If someone close to you is navigating a major life change, offer your support and listen with empathy. But also remember that you don't have to let their decisions influence yours. It's okay to acknowledge their experiences while maintaining your perspective.

By remaining mindful of how these shifts affect you, you can make conscious, empowered choices about your own life and relationships, free from the subliminal pressure to conform to evolving societal expectations.

Choose Consciously In A Connected World

At the end of the day, decisions about love, commitment or separation are deeply personal — and they should be yours and yours alone. But while it's comforting to think our choices are entirely self-directed, we're all shaped by the emotional and social ecosystems we move through. That influence doesn't make your decisions less valid but rather makes them more conscious.

As you move through your relationships, stay grounded in your truth while staying open to reflection. Ask yourself, "Isthis truly what I want? Or am I absorbing someone else's story as my own?"

Mindfulness isn't about closing off from the world — it's about making space for honest questions and anchored clarity. You can be confident in your relationship and still check in with yourself regularly. Growth doesn't always mean change or the end of a relationship. Sometimes, it means deepening your commitment with fresh understanding.

Are you curious to know where your marriage stands? Take this science-backed test to find out: Marital Satisfaction Scale

A similar version of this article can also be found on Forbes.com, here.