Year-end reviews are a pop culture staple, and for good reason. A year goes by so quickly it\u2019s hard to remember everything that happened, no matter how informed and engaged you are. Looking back at the year is a useful way to see how things have changed and how we\u2019ve changed with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why we\u2019ve once again compiled our annual list of the 10 most popular articles on Compass. Some things are consistent year-over-year: Collectively, we\u2019re still miffed about scam calls and curious about how to find people. The most noteworthy change from the top 10 list of 2020<\/a> is that we\u2019re apparently feeling less secure in our relationships. Three of the articles on this year\u2019s top 10 list revolve around potential infidelity \u2014 up from just one, last year \u2014 and another is about how to improve our relationships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The big question is whether this trend will continue for another 12 months, or whether a different theme will dominate next year\u2019s list. For now, though, here\u2019s what most interested our readers in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s an app for everything, which certainly holds true for infidelity. Relatively few apps on your partner\u2019s phone represent \u201csmoking gun\u201d proof of cheating \u2014 even a Tinder account can be innocuous if that\u2019s how you met, a few months ago \u2014 but taken together with other signs of cheating<\/a>, it can be a serious red flag. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We did<\/em> say that a preoccupation with infidelity was a significant theme this year, right? Most of the conversations that take place within a relationship are unexceptional, but there are a few phrases that should make your ears twitch if you hear them come from your partner\u2019s mouth. You probably don\u2019t need us to tell you that \u201cThis isn\u2019t going to work out\u201d is a bad omen, but a few of these other phrases might have you raising your eyebrows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is one of two articles from last year\u2019s top 10 list that made the cut again this year. In a way, it\u2019s not surprising, because like the infidelity articles, it speaks to a degree of uncertainty in your relationship: In this case, the one you\u2019re having online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So how do you find out whether the person you\u2019re interacting with is legitimate, or a catfish? Spoiler: Spokeo\u2019s people search tools<\/a> are your best defense against online heartbreak. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s one of the fundamental questions of modern life: How do you draw the line between harmless online flirting and social media \u201ccheating\u201d that might in turn lead to a real-world affair? It\u2019s not necessarily as clear-cut as it was in the days before smartphones, when flirting (mostly) happened in person and could get \u201ctaken to the next level\u201d on a momentary impulse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Appropriate limits are something every couple will need to negotiate individually, but we can at least help you recognize the signs that a flirtation is getting serious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone loves a good reunion story<\/a>, and there are plenty of them in Spokeo\u2019s archives. (Pro tip: You\u2019ll find lots of them gathered together in this blog\u2019s Connectors<\/a> category.) Of course, the underlying assumption in these heartwarming tales is that the person you\u2019re looking for actually wants to be found. But what if you\u2019re not sure who\u2019s looking for you<\/em> and what their motives are? It\u2019s difficult to find out, but we have some suggestions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back in the days when almost everyone had a landline phone number, they also had their number listed in the phone book. (Remember those?) Even now, it\u2019s relatively straightforward to get a landline number from directory assistance. Calling directory won\u2019t help with cell phone numbers, though, so you\u2019ll need to find other options. We\u2019ve got you covered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is another article that\u2019s back in the top 10 after making the list from 2020 as well. Improved robocall legislation<\/a> (and just as importantly, enforcement) is slowly whittling away at the volume of scammy and spammy calls we all receive, but there are still far too many. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fortunately, you can look up incoming numbers individually using Spokeo\u2019s Reverse Phone Number Lookup<\/a> but you can save yourself the effort if you already know which area codes are most likely to be used by scammers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not that the tools aren\u2019t out there, but you may not have the knowledge to put them all together. Connecting those dots for you \u2014 and explaining how you can use Spokeo to tie them all together \u2014 is what this article\u2019s all about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finding or fearing infidelity wasn\u2019t the only reason relationships factored into our top 10 list for 2021. There\u2019s an old saying that \u201can ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,\u201d and that absolutely applies to relationships. In this mid-summer article, we gave a brief explanation of author Gary Chapman\u2019s 5 Love Languages<\/a>, and how you can apply them with your own partner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the side effects of that updated robocall legislation we mentioned earlier is that it empowered the Caller ID system to become more informative. Depending on the call\u2019s characteristics and source of origin, it\u2019s now possible for your phone carrier to make some educated guesses about whether it\u2019s likely to be a scam or spam call. Those new-and-improved messages might be a bit confusing until you get used to them, so we put together a quick primer to get you up and running. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s impossible to know what the coming year will hold (show of hands, everyone who had \u201cmulti-year global pandemic\u201d on their 2020 bingo card). It\u2019ll be fascinating to see whether our current interpersonal insecurities show some staying power, or whether they\u2019re a symptom of pandemic stress and perhaps just a bit<\/em> too much time together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One thing we can safely predict: Whatever 2022 brings, Spokeo and this blog will be here to empower you and guide you through it safely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Year-end reviews are a pop culture staple, and for good reason. A year goes by so quickly it\u2019s hard to remember everything that happened, no matter how informed and engaged…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":24935,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[610],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fun"],"yoast_head":"\n1. Want to Find Out if Your Partner Is Cheating? Look for These Apps<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2. These Five Phrases May Be Signs of Infidelity<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. How to Do a Catfish Phone Number Search to Uncover the Truth<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. Everything You Need to Know about Social Media Cheating<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5. Can You Find Out Who Is Searching for You Online? <\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. How to Find Someone\u2019s Cell Phone Number by Name<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
7. Phone Scam Area Codes to Watch Out For<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
8. Searching for Someone? How to Track Them Down the Right Way<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
9. How the Five Love Languages Can Improve Your Relationship<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
10. From \u201cUnknown Caller\u201d to Outright Scam: Understanding Caller ID Messages<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Same Time Next Year!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n