Ashley Madison, a website marketed to married people or people in relationships, has reported a surge in membership amid the coronavirus stay-at-home orders, the New York Post reported.
The website added 17,000 new members a day during the pandemic that has caused people to remain home, compared to 15,500 new members a day in 2019 according to the New York Post.
“We’ve spoken to members, and they’re saying they’re using the site as a release valve for the tension that’s built up at home during the pandemic,” Paul Keable, the chief strategy officer of Ashley Madison, said in an interview with Venture Beat. “They’re looking to have needs met that aren’t being met at home.”
The website‘s tag line is “Life is short. Have an affair.”
The Ashley Madison website. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
Ashley Madison’s recent study found that 30% of its female users are having cybersex with their affair partners while 14% of male users were having virtual sex with their affair partners.
“More than 80% of women who use Ashley Madison choose to have an affair because they don’t want to exit their relationship,” Paul Keable, chief strategy officer of Ashley Madison, said according to In Style. “They’re in love with their husband, but there’s an element that’s missing. They come to the site to find that element, and they say that finding it helps them become better wives and lovers. They tell us it helps them find balance in their lives.” (RELATED: Cheating On Your Spouse Is Apparently Super Popular These Days)
The website also asked members if they’re trying to “spice up your sex life with your spouse while socially distancing,” and 76% of respondents said “no.”
“We’ve spoken to members, and they’re saying they’re using the site as a release valve for the tension that’s built up at home during the pandemic,” Keable said. “They’re looking to have needs met that aren’t being met at home.”
According to the American Psychological Association, 20% to 40% of married couples deal with infidelity.