A Study of the Effect of Social Networks and Cyberspace on the Rate of Divorce in Iran

As the smallest social unit, the family can be very instrumental in producing both the positive effect of creating a center of serenity and the negative effect of reproducing social harms. ‘Divorce’ with its devastating effects in various social dimensions and numerous social anomalies is among the negative phenomena associated with family life. Various known and unknown factors have contributed to marital maladjustment, the dissolution of the family, and the rise in divorce rates in Iranian society, especially in recent years. One of the possible factors contributing to the increase in the divorce rate among Iranian couples is ‘social networks’. Given the increasing use of cyber social networks among different strata of society, the present paper seeks to answer the question, "What are the impacts of cyber social networks on the growth of divorce rates in Iran, and how do these networks affect marital life?" The findings of the present research work, conducted through the descriptive-analytic method, show that there is a significant relationship between the increase in the divorce rate in the country and the use of social networks. The greater the use of these networks among couples, the greater the chill of marital relationships and divorce rate. Although using social networks has its own attractions, it affects family life and marital relationships, and this factor has become one of the reasons for the increase in divorce rates in the country.