Social media responsible for failed marriages, say experts

Beijing: While social media was designed to bring people together, it can sometimes drive them apart -- more Chinese people are switching their status from married to single and social media could be responsible, say experts.

A report by the ministry of civil affairs in June found that 3.637 million couples divorced in 2014, up by 3.9 percent from the previous year.

Statistics from the ministry show the country has been witnessing a continuous rise in divorces since 2002.

Su, a white collar worker from Shanghai, was stunned and furious after discovering her husband's secret romances online.

She found he viewed dating websites, and was in touch with many girlfriends on different social networks. Some relationships were more than a decade old, long before they got married.

"Since we have a child, I will not consider divorcing. But our relationship is dead," she told Xinhua.

A man, requesting anonymity, said he uses social networks to look for dates while on business trips.

Yu Kun, a Beijing-based psychologist, said among all extramarital affairs of his clients, about half of them were initiated through the internet.

But most experts said social media generally only affects relationships that were already strained.

In some cases, social networking apps can be a tool in dismantling an already fragile marriage, according to Chen Yiyun, an expert from the marriage and family research institute under the All-China Women's Federation.

Social media is never the root cause of divorce, said Han Junmei, a commentator on www.workercn.com.

"Incompatibility undermines marriages and social networks just increases the possibility of breaking up," she wrote.

Social media is not the only factor behind the rising divorce rate. The younger generation's attitude toward marriage has also changed.

"In the past, people were more conservative and saw it as a shame to get divorced," marriage consultant Shu Xin said.

"Nowadays, people care more about the quality of marriage and are more willing to break social norms for the sake of happiness."