It isn’t uncommon for a hobby to take over the majority of someone’s time and naturally, this can end up affecting marital life. Video games are not just meant for kids these days because online and offline games across consoles and PCs cater to adult audiences as well. As a result of this, couples have often been found to argue over one of the partners spending too much time playing video games. However, gaming does not often make it onto the list of causes cited for marital breakdowns… that is until just recently.
Over 200 Couples Filed for Divorce Over Online Games in 2018
Up until September, 2018, more than 200 couples across the UK have cited Fortnite and other online games as the prime cause of their marital breakdown. In most of these cases, the cause has been defined as an addiction to the concerned games that has reached a point where the relationship between a husband and his wife is affected too severely to remain married. It is to be noted that the actual number could be, and probably is, far greater, as this data was brought to light by just one law firm by the name of Divorce Online.
5% of the Total Divorce Proceedings?
In accordance with the information supplied by the aforementioned firm, the total number of couples who cited online gaming as a cause for wanting to get a divorce doesn’t quite constitute a huge percentage of the total divorce proceedings yet, with the figures standing at just 5%. Nevertheless, it is to be noted that such causes were not cited nearly as frequently as they were before 2018.
The New Addiction
While it does not qualify as a physical addiction that’s as dangerous or as harmful as drug or alcohol abuse, there is little doubt in the fact that video games can be psychologically addictive. In combination with that, popular online games like PUBG, Elder Scrolls Online and Fortnite also bring human competitiveness to the plate, making them the perfect place to lose track of time and apparently, your significant other! The World Health Organization (WHO) declared excessive online gaming habits and the inability to control them voluntarily as a “gaming disorder” back in June and this report seems to further validate the point that this can become a serious enough issue in people’s personal lives.
There are over 40 million Fortnite players that log in every day from all sections of the planet and that’s just one of the many addictive online games available today. Considering these facts, it would be safe to say that instances of online video games being cited as a cause for divorce will only grow in the coming years as more and more people start getting involved in video games, especially since addictive multiplayer games are not just limited to consoles and PCs anymore, but can easily be played from any smartphone as well.
Blue Trinity Legal offer specialist family law advice.