Social media has long been accused of taking over our lives, and new research suggests that it could be to blame for some marriages ending.

Over 14 per cent of 2,000 married Brits said that they had considered divorce because of their partner's activities on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat. Family law firm Slater and Gordon, which carried out the research, cites the use of social media as contributing factor in the rise of divorces.

Nearly 25 per cent of respondents admitted that social media provoked at least one argument a week, and more than 17 per cent said they argued daily because of it. The majority of these cited Facebook pictures and posts as the root cause, as well as the amount of time spent by their partner online and contact with ex-partners.

Just under half said they secretly kept tabs on their other halves' through their Facebook account, and more than one in ten (14 per cent) said they looked specifically to find evidence of cheating.

Eight per cent said they had secret social media accounts that they kept hidden from their partner.

Head of Family Law at Slater and Gordon, Andrew Newbury, branded social media "the new marriage minefield".

"With more than 556 million people using Facebook each day, the way we live our lives, and our marriages, has drastically changed," he said.

"Social media can be a wonderful way of keeping in touch with family and friends, but it can also put added strain on a relationship."