Long-married couples splitting due to social media addiction, says counsellor

 

Social media addiction has become the main contributor to divorces among couples who have been married for over 20, 30 and even 40 years, according to marriage counsellor Hushim Salleh. (Freepik pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

Addiction to social media has led to older couples who have been married for decades filing for divorce in their later years, according to a marriage counsellor.

Hushim Salleh, who runs a counselling consultancy firm, said there were many such cases involving couples in their 50s and above, with the husbands particularly hooked on social media, Sinar Harian reported.

He said there was a rising trend of couples getting divorced in their later years, adding that he had personally handled three such cases almost every month since January, compared with one or two a month before this.

“Social media addiction has become the main contributor to divorces among couples who have been married for over 20, 30 and even 40 years.

“Many wives complain that their husbands are spending too much time on TikTok, often smiling and laughing on their own, neglecting communication with their spouses.

“This makes the wives feel lonely, especially at an age where they are alone at home as their children have grown up and are living on their own,” said Hushim.

He said such a fixation on social media would also lead to a decrease in physical touch among couples, driving wives to seek divorce.

The counsellor added that nearly half of the cases he handled ended in divorce, especially if the husband showed no sign of change after counselling sessions.

He said he had also seen cases where the wives decide to stay with their children rather than their husbands, as they feel more appreciated there.

He advised elderly husbands to be prudent with their use of smartphones and social media to prevent straining their marriage.

“Communication is important and cannot be neglected because it’s the main factor in many divorce cases.” - FMT