If you are in a relationship or married and think popular social media networks such as Facebook and Whatsapp are having no effect on your marital life, you may be wrong. In most of the recent cases registered at Jharkhand State Commission for Women (JSCW), the social media is reported as one of the major causes for misunderstanding among couples.
“Almost everyday, we come across couples where one doubts the other of being involved in an extra affair through facebook and whatsapp. The complications are more in live-in relation couples. Some of these have been staying together for years while many are about to marry. Similar cases are seen increasing among married couples but the number is not much,” said JSCW Chairperson Mahua Maji on Friday.
Maji said in such circumstances the women are usually the sufferers. “They feel neglected. We confirmed the online inference after some women brought audio or video recordings or photos proving their partner flirting with another lady,” maintained the Chairperson.
She further added that the cases are generally reported from people hailing from educated and urbanized background. Sources at the commission informed incase these complains are serious, they seek the support of the cyber crime department. “We do not take much initiative to handle the problems on our part. If a solution is required, we write a letter to the cyber crime department for looking over the matter,” said a staff of the commission.
However, at the city women police station, activists involved in counselling a couple claim it is difficult for housewives to prove that their husbands prefer the social media for betraying them. “Most housewives are not tech savvy. They cannot share the exact online mode used by their husbands,” said a social activist.
“Even committed or married women are adapting such methods for enjoying life,” said the activist. According to psychiatrists there is a simple solution to tackle the misunderstanding. “Nowadays, each family member is busy in huis/her life. People hardly get time to spend together. It is highly important to devote sufficient time for each other and have regular face to face conversation which can certainly help in establishing a better understanding. As a result, a person involved in a relationship will not get infatuated to someone else besides his or her partner,” said Dr Nishant Goyal, an Assistant Professor of Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP), Kanke.