Social media blamed for huge rise in the number of divorces
Updated: 2015-07-06 05:00
By CAO YIN and LUO WANGSHU(China Daily)
|
|||||||||||
The growing use of social media is a major factor behind a dramatic increase in the divorce rate, according to a lawyer.
Couples who spend too long chatting online instead of talking and devoting time to each other risk growing apart, said Liu Lin of Beijing Shuangli Law Firm.
Nine of 10 divorce cases Liu handles involve disputes triggered by social media, he added.
A report by the Ministry of Civil Affairs reveals that the number of couples getting divorced rose from 2.68 million in 2010 to 3.64 million in 2014. The figures show that the divorce rate has increased for 10 consecutive years.
"I never thought technology could break down a marriage, but I handled a divorce case triggered by QQ (a messaging tool) in 2011 and have since seen other similar cases," Liu said.
The rapid growth of social media, including the WeChat instant messaging service, makes communication easier, but can reduce the amount of time given to personal, face-to-face communication, something that is essential to sustain a marriage.
"If a housewife uses WeChat day and night it can create incompatibility between the couple and stop them communicating," Liu added.
However, the overuse of social media is just one of the factors behind the increasing number of divorces. So-called "fake divorces", where couples part to get around restrictions on purchasing property or to enroll their children in particular schools and then remarry, have also pushed up the divorce rate.
In one case, said Liu, parents who did not have a Beijing hukou, or household registration, divorced. The woman paid a Beijing man to marry her so she could obtain a Beijing hukou and enroll her child in one of the city's public schools. Once the child was enrolled, his mother divorced again and remarried her original husband.
"The couple, in other words, felt they had no alternative but to solve the problem of the child's enrollment by divorcing," he said.
Wang Jun, a specialist at Beijing Weiqing Marriage Consultants, said many couples come to her to seek advice on how to solve practical problems through divorce.
She said people have higher expectations of marriage than their parents, and the increase in prosperity has brought with it new challenges such as the need to spend long hours commuting, increasing the amount of time couples spend apart.
"A number of couples have told me they lost their love on the long way to work," Wang said.
Contact the writers at caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn
Related Stories
Renren moves into property crowdfunding 2015-06-18 08:24
Talks aim at jihadists' use of social media 2015-06-12 07:32
Social media blamed for rising divorce rate 2015-06-08 15:47
Dividing line between old, new retail becoming blurred 2015-06-04 08:58
Experts issue appeal for safer social media environment 2015-06-04 07:55
Today's Top News
Greece enters uncharted territory after 'no' vote
Govt in joint effort to halt market slide
Chinese visitors in Turkey on alert
Social media blamed for huge rise in the number of divorces
Power Link generates momentum with UK base
Russians will 'surprise' in victory parade: Ambassador
China-France partnership 'will benefit all'
Greece in billions of financing gap over next three years
Hot Topics
Lunar probe , China growth forecasts, Emission rules get tougher, China seen through 'colored lens', International board,
Editor's Picks
Premier Li's visit to Belgium and France |
What do we know about AIIB |
Full coverage of Boao Forum for Asia |
Annual legislative and political advisory sessions |
Festival Special: Apps that make holiday shopping easier |
Listed firms caught in anti-corruption net |