Net Marriage and Cohabitation
I have to admit that I am really very ignorant about net; actually I had seldom
got online and visited websites before I joined this forum. So it is quite understandable how much I was amazed and also amused to learn that there are quite a
number of websites named “Love Apartments” or “Net Cohabitation” to provide
net pals a space to get married and to set up their sweet homes. Everything is
just the same as it is in real life. The couple has to work hard and earn enough money to buy an apartment or a house; to arrange renovation and decoration for their home; to buy furniture and electrical appliances; to make meals every day … The fanciest idea to me is that they even raise one or two kids. A social
worker tried to register to such a website and found it not as easy as he imagined dating a lady because he is new and poor and not able to buy flowers and chocolates to the girl let alone to buy a house.
It is said that this sort of websites appeared in China in the second half of 2003 and have spread very fast in recent two years and thus it has aroused heat discussions among social problem and marriage problem experts. Does it transgress
traditional morality? Can it be regarded as overstepping the bounds of marriage? Does it constitute bigamy? Some people say it is merely a kind of “play house” game as children do. It is a shelter, a harbor for those who are thirsty
for affections. However, it has really affected real marriages to a certain extent according to a social survey. Here are two extreme examples to show how the
seemingly fictitious marriages have affected real marriages.
XX and his wife was such a well-matched and affectionate couple in the eyes of their relatives and friends. One day his wife was killed in a traffic accident.
The husband grieved over his wife’s sudden death and was about to give up his
own life. When he finally calmed down and sorted out the things his wife left,
he was astonished to find out that his wife had married to another man on the net and set up a home with that guy for two years. He could neither believe his eyes nor understand such an absolutely ridiculous thing could happen to him. He
felt he was so foolishly cheated and betrayed by his wife and his sorrows for his wife had gone to the air instead he was in a huge rage.
Another husband said to the journalist that he could understand or even accept the fact that his wife would love another man and would get a divorce from him if
there is no other choice because it happens very often in real life. However,
he can never understand how his wife would fell in love with a man who is actually not existed and pay no heed to him – a real husband with flesh and blood …
Maybe it is just for fun, we don’t need to be serious. However, I’m still worrying whether it will be a new type of online addiction among adults just like children’s online game addiction? Or as thus it will be another social problem?
I hope all my worries are unnecessary.
