Technology advances blamed for high divorce rate

The advance in computer technology and use of social media networks have been cited by activists here as the major cause of increased divorces.

A recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on the National Panel Survey of 2014/15 indicates that the divorce rate has doubled within the last six years.

The report shows that the rate of divorce has increased from 1.1 percent in 2008/09 to 2.1 percent in 2014/15.

“Social media networks currently are major links between couples,” says the Chairman of the peace committee in Mwanza Region, Sheikh Hassan Kabeke. “Courtship is currently ignored and couples lack marriage teachings and practices that should match their customary laws and ethics,” he said.

“Religions and cultural marriages including pagans have their marriage laws and ethics that have to be practised for effective marriages,” he said.

He says that reports indicate that online dating which is currently on the rise is not the way to go for a successful and long-term relationship.

“Couples who met through social media platform lack teachings on marriage morals and customs and that they always lack a place to seek for advice whenever they engage in a marriage dispute,” he said.

He says in the past years marriage practices and customary laws were followed and couples had to understand each other through involving community members and elders.

Sister Annunciata Maria of the Catholic Church Diocese of Musoma and a human rights activist told this paper that currently couples were meeting on social media network and they don’t involve their parents.

She says that currently people are more interested in body structure appearance than behavior.