Is Facebook Reducing The Stigma Of Divorce In Pakistan?

For the longest time, people in Pakistan have considered divorce to be synonymous to failure.

Failure of the individual (usually the woman), a lack of values/ tarbeeyat, and in some cases even failure on the part of their families. However, there has been an increase in divorce rates, and with time the stigma attached to divorce is decreasing. It is still present, but to a lesser degree. 

There are several reasons that can be taken account to show why there are increasing divorce rates: globalization, high expectations, less stigma. It is interesting to note, however, that all these reasons have a common source: social media.  The rise of social media has had so many different effects on society Even in a conservative state like Pakistan, its effects are fairly evident.  Globalization is the integration and interaction between people, companies, and ideas worldwide. Social media in Pakistan has helped foster an environment fit for such integration. Western ideas and influences are becoming more commonplace through stories shared on social media platforms. We hear about more divorces than we did before.

Consequently, social stigma has also decreased The more you are exposed to something, the more normal it seems. We see celebrity divorces in the news, we watch Netflix shows where divorce is seen as often as marriage, and thus slowly we are opening up to the idea. The ‘perfect’ institutions of family and marriage are crushed by social media. There are increasing alternatives to getting married, and people are happier with ideas that do not seem as permanent. Some people prefer cohabitation to marriage.

Social media presents such unrealistic expectations of marriage that nothing seems to live up to them

When people feel like these aren’t met, they want to get divorced. While the younger generations are more focused on social media, the role of elders or parents is also simultaneously being reduced. As a result, couples seem to have more choice with regards to what they want to do with their lives. However, there is still a long way to go before the stigma attached to divorce is entirely removed.

The importance of social media continues to increase, so hopefully this will be very soon

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