Young people seen surfing the Web at an Internet cafe in Beijing. (Photo : www.phys.org)
A research on couples published by Chinese magazine Banyuetan has claimed that social media is responsible for the rising divorce rate in China, which has been steadily mounting since 2004.
Statistics from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, released in early 2015, showed that 3.1 million couples divorced in 2013, or 23.4 percent of the population, compared to 4.7 percent in 1979. In big cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, and Tianjin, the rate was closer to or over 30 percent in 2013.
According to research by Banyuetan, the presence of social media has not brought couples closer but instead has made matters worse by bringing the relationship to an end in some cases.
Chen Yiyun, the deputy of Expert Committee on Marriage and Family Research, told the magazine that Chinese social media apps with positioning function, such as WeChat and Momo, have become a tool preferred by men and used for picking up girls.
According to data from Yihunyin.com, a website sponsored by China Marital Family Work Association, the number of mistresses, or "Little Thirds" as they're known in China, found on Momo or WeChat has increased by 20 percent in the past few years.
The report said that social media has become a destabilizing factor and distraction for some marriages and fatal for others, as the mobile-led, social media phenomenon has made it more difficult to reach out to people.
Yu Kun, a psychological counselor, said that social networks are a major factor in more than 50 percent of the extramarital affairs, based on the actual cases he once handled.
Li Hongxiang, a professor of law in Jinlin University, explained that Chinese people no longer treat marriage as "until death do us part" in recent years, and the idea of marriage has weakened, leading to more divorces.
The report said that other people attribute it to changing expectations of people, while some respondents cited sexual incompatibly, or low EQ as possible grounds for divorce.
Liu Liping, a psychological consultant in Beijing, said that extramarital sex caused 40 percent of divorces, based on his experience.
Liu Ning, researcher from Shanxi, said that the large number of migrant workers who leave their homes to work in China's big cities find it difficult to maintain a long-term relationship and turn to mistresses for solace.
