ANJALI YADAV / Dehradun
The recent Twisha Sharma case has once again brought focus on changing relationships and the rising number of marital disputes in India. Family court lawyers and mental health experts here stated that factors like social media influence, financial stress, changing family structures and lack of communication are affecting marriages today.
Advocate Rajat Dua said that divorce and separation cases have increased significantly over the years in the city with cases rising in the State annually. Changing lifestyles and work culture are among the major reasons behind this trend. “Today, both husband and wife are working and earning, which sometimes leads to disagreements over household responsibilities and childcare. Stress, alcohol consumption and modern lifestyles are also affecting relationships. Nuclear families often lack elders who earlier helped resolve disputes before they became serious, Dua said. Issues like infertility, extramarital affairs and relationships formed through social media are also contributing to marital conflicts. Many people hide important details like past marriages or divorce status on matrimonial sites, which later creates problems, he added.
“Earlier, couples adjusted despite differences. Now separation is often seen as an easier option if there is incompatibility. Courts usually try counselling and reconciliation before granting divorce, but many couples are unwilling to continue the relationship,” he said.
Another advocate Yanshil Mittal stated that divorce cases in Dehradun are lower compared to metro cities but higher than in many other districts of Uttarakhand. He said that cruelty is one of the common grounds in many cases, though every dispute is different. “In court, counselling is compulsory, but both individuals often have very different perspectives about the marriage,” Mittal said.
Neuropsychologist Dr Sona Kaushal Gupta said that emotional problems among young couples have become more common in recent years. She said that ego clashes and unrealistic expectations are major reasons behind relationship problems. “Many people want relationships to work exactly according to their expectations. When that does not happen, frustration and anger increase,” she said.
Gupta further said that social media is strongly influencing relationships by constantly exposing people to toxic relationship content and negative portrayals of marriage. According to her, this affects people psychologically and makes separation appear easier. She also said that communication gaps are becoming common among working couples because of busy schedules and excessive screen time. “People spend more time on phones, laptops and television after returning home instead of talking to each other,” she said.
Lack of communication can lead to loneliness, anxiety and anger issues, which eventually affect relationships.
Words like “toxicity” and “trauma” are now overused on social media, causing even small disagreements to be labelled as toxic relationships. “It is easy to walk away from a relationship. The real challenge is maintaining peace while staying together,” she added.
