Is talking anonymously about sex counts as cheating? (with ga's, 9 hours left!)

Just talking about relationships and sex with someone is alright, sexting would be kinda cheating in my book. I'd say talk with your significant other about it and how they would possibly feel about it, if you don't and you just hide it from them, you obviously know why.

Yes, yes, yes. A million times: Yes.

A relationship is nothing more than a sentimental agreement between two (or more?) persons. "Sexting" is also nothing more than the sentimental agreement of two persons to have sex over the phone. So, I would say it is cheating.

If you have to hide it then there's probably something wrong with it :P
Sexting is harmless as long as your other half has agreed to you doing it. Cheating isn't necessarily physical, it's a betrayal of trust.

Sexting is cheating unless you're in a poly relationship. Then have fun.

...theres a big difference between talking about sex and relationships and sexting...or even ERP or whatever considering a friend of mine left every single media outlet he shared with all of us (Discord etc) or blocked us all considering his girlfrend gave him a whole "Its me or them" sort of ultimatum because he was flirting with people online.

Sexting/ERP is completely different than just talking about sex.
and yeah I think it counts as cheating but I think its fine to talk about stuff with people.

Setting with someone you know is cheating. Cyber with a random stranger is just augmented porn

If it feels like you're cheating, guess what.

If you have the need to hide it from your partner, then it's cheating

The act is in the abstract. Cheating is an emotional act- it is the act of receiving/taking from others what one has agreed to receive from someone in a monogamous relationship.

Simply ask yourself- is your s/o ok with it? Would you be ok with them doing the same thing? If you have to do it behind their back, then you already know the answer.

Cheating isn't just a physical thing, so If you feel like you have to hide the sexting, then you're pretty much admitting that you're doing something wrong (or you wouldn't be hiding it to begin with and you know it).
The way I see it, unless your significant other gives you the ok to do it, it's a betrayal of trust and therefore, a form of cheating.

Everybody has posted great responses to this, for explaining why. I'll just add to the chorus of absolutely yes it is, unless you've previously cleared with your partner that it's okay.

Well, it's considered "emotional cheating", but hey, it could help a relatioship work well.
You're treading a fine line, so be aware of your actions.
If you are worried, maybe you could try bringing what you're looking in these chat inside the couple. You might be surprised of the results. New spark? Who knows. :)
In the end though, every couple should really just find their own way to be happy.

I don't think there's a right answer to that one. It's really dependent on the couple. If you are in a relationship, you MUST be able to talk with your significant other about literally anything. So bring that up, ask her what she thinks the borders are. I mean, what's the worse that can happen? If she breaks up with you because you asked, you should have dumped her ass anyways. Hope this helps :)

Wording can be important to capture what you are actually doing. its common to see "cheating" used int this way but really betraying is the correct term.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/cheating
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/betrayal

You cheat at a game of cards, you betray people.

For me it sounds very much like cheating and I would consider it being so, but when it comes to things like these, it depends on your relationship. Different people consider different things cheating (watching porn, sexting, physical contact with someone else or sometimes even speaking with someone), while others don't. You need to clear this up with your girlfriend and ask if she's okay with it. If she's not, then yes, in her eyes this will be cheating even if you didn't have the intention to do so.

Oh, and by the way, also consider if you would be completely okay with your gf doing the same thing. If you are - there is a place for discussion. If not, then you need to change your behavior.

Can't vote on poll.

Talking about sex and sexting are very different things.
Its like comparing a casual conversation about the weather with a monologue or poem or a entire essay on cumulus clouds in tropical climates changing as outcome to global warming or gods message after Trump.
The subject or part of it is somewhat the same. That hardly put both together.

Theres also layers and layes of sexting or degrees so to say: to the obviously cheating to the 'everybody but a few' would call it cheating to the grayish area closer to fapping.

Now go look up for any definitive answer or social norm on fapping being cheating- theres none. Its fuzzy. It varies.
The 'less-cheating' (if we can say that) possible way of sexting is closer to fapping but even that is one step ahead- because it objectively involve someone else. Not recorded, not passively, directly with you- wich by itself includes a risk or potential of something more. So its hard to argue how its different from any kind of flirting. 'Oh the distance' 'I had no intention of anything beyond...'

Yeah right. Good luck with that.

Im not saying YOU were actively planing on 'cheating' or turning said sexting in anything else but

-Most cheating comes from opportunity + build up. You don't need to plan but keep at it long enought and temptation increases- and if opportunity arises... thats where many of 'it was an accident' argument comes when its just not a pre-planed excuse.
Its very common actually- not consciously wanting but then 'it was the moment'.
But any psycho[insert type here] would tell you that, unless it was completely by chance (wich generally only happens in porn), then you were looking for it even if consciously you were telling yourself otherwise.

-Why do it with other alternatives available (including the aforementioned fapping)?

-Anything sex related is relationship related to some degree when you're in a relationship, the only exceptions one could say otherwise involve you and your body and no one else (so its personal). Unless you were sexting with a bot (idn, they can enter GAs so who knows) thats not the case.

-Any kind of secretive, forbidden and non-agreed beforehand act involving any degree of sex is considered cheating. Heck in serious relationships many if not most people consider any form of secrets cheating. Because...

-Cheating doesn't means body parts touching and fluids flowing. It means breaking from a trust that was formed. That trust is mostly around sexual fidelity but not only. Relationships are social contracts with unspoken and spoken rules- heck, it even include those when you marry with actual contracts. Fgs it needs witnesses!

-Cheatings broad appliance is related to trust and meaning of relationship- wich is subjective. Don't hold onto the term and general opnion but on the other parts understanding of it.

So lets see... summoning some 'lawer' side of me:
-You're in a relationship you're in a contract
-If you ever talked about anything like that as a no-go then game is over before it started. Thats breach in the contract
-Unspoken rules however are the main-way of relationships and considering normal rules...
-Yeah, the deed was done and a call for break of contract is feasible.

Fact: contract was broken. No doubt.
Undetermined: clauses of breach in contract. I suppose the parts never written down nor spoken about limits or gray areas on the subject

Meaning that per chance theres hope of some agreement between the parts on how to retain and restore the contract, probably re-written as to make sure some unspoken clauses are well understood, with a negotiable fine or further contract changes regarding the wrongly done breach commited.

Wether or not said breach constitutes 'cheating' is of no relevance because what means a term or anything to anyone beyond the parts invoveld in a realionship is of no relevance in a relationship.

Now if the agreement will be made or even if it will be amicable are highly unsure. Trying to reach said agreement may even start other disputes and causes such as personal injury or damage to property(hopefully owned goods).

But im afraid this is as far as you can get o help; Unless theres a written contract and equity to be divided (a divorce) no one will ever want to enter on this dispute. You're alone from now on to handle that.

Depends on the sort of relationship you're in. If your GF is the traditionalist type and expects you to be 100% devoted to her during the entirety of your relationship, then yes, it's cheating. If she's more reasonable and merely expects you to make a serious, but not total, commitment to the relationship, then it's not cheating. You have to talk to her to find out how she feels about it.

I say 'more reasonable' because the traditionalist sort of relationship is almost always unsustainable. People become bored with each other over time and eventually seek new partners. If total devotion is expected, this will either end the relationship or cause lingering mistrust and resentment. But if non-commitment relationships outside the primary one are allowed, people can maintain their serious relationship without struggling to suppress their strong natural desire for new sexual partners.

At the risk, of course, of finding out that one of the non-commitment partners is a better match for a serious relationship. So it takes people who are very confident in their relationship to allow their partner to have sex with someone else without being overwhelmed by jealousy. While the most insecure will throw a fit at even the slightest hint of flirting, never mind sexting.

Edit: One of the other comments reminded me - This obviously needs to go both ways. It's unreasonable to expect your partner to allow you to do what you won't allow them to do.

It depends entirely on what boundaries two people who are dating have set. A lot of people (most, even) would say that flirting, making sexual comments and/or sexting with another over chat programs, forums, PM/DMs, and texts counts as cheating. If you are ever about to engage in something and you aren't sure if you're about to cross a line, bring it up with your SO. My SO has no problems with me flirting with people over chat, and likewise I don't have a problem with him doing the same. If I were with someone else and they didn't feel comfortable about it, I would respect that. At the end of the day you want the opinion of whoever you're dating.

If you are not married, there is no obligation to the relationship, nor to each other. Either person can simply choose to walk away if he or she doesn't like the behavior of the other. This strange notion that simply spending time with a person saddles you with the responsibilities and obligations of marriage is a by-product of people "shacking up." They desire the benefits of marriage without shouldering its burdens, and that is bad for both those involved and for society at large. There is no "cheating" where there is no marriage.

If you are actually married, however, then yes, sexting would be a violation of your partner's trust. If you wouldn't do it with your partner watching, you shouldn't do it when he or she is absent.

The only question here is whether your girlfriend will think it is cheating. What we think isn't really relevant because we are not the ones who will be throwing your clothes out of the window.

if you've got into doing this, than you're probably not happy in your current state with her. Think about it, and make the right decision rather than wasting eachother's time. :)

Yea, you are not being loyal to your partner when sexting

Cheating has a lot to do with the kind of relationship and how you communicate what happens to you.

If it would bother you if it was your partner doing the same thing, then yes it is cheating.

It's definitely more delicate than cheating or not cheating.

If you talk about sex with a stranger, then most healthy relationships would have both parties allow it.
If you sext them though... I'd say that's cheating. In the end, you're showing yourself off to someone else and usually for sexual pleasure.