Gaming and Your Marriage
Can gaming really cause the end of a marriage? A divorce website in the United Kingdom recently stated that 5% of divorce petitions so far this year blamed “addiction to Fortnite” for the divorce. And the game just came out last summer. In the past we have seen social media and even “email communication” as online activities that cause cause a variety of problems within a marriage.
This gaming statistic is dramatic, especially since it is for just one game. Unfortunately, it’s not a new phenomenon and it’s not limited to Fortnite. Back in 2011, a Divorce Online study showed that, of women who listed “unreasonable behavior” as a cause for divorce, 15% listed gaming addiction—up from 5% the year before. And in 2013, a study by Brigham Young University found that 75% of spouses of gamers wished their spouse would put as much time and effort into their marriages as they did into their games.
It’s no surprise that in June 2018 the World Health Organization listed Gaming Disorder as a new mental health disease.
The most serious problems arise from the alternative reality games, where players create an alter-ego in a different “real world.” This world comes with a different set of friends: other gamers who play in a community. Because of the high-energy, adrenalin, and online camaraderie available with some games, this other world becomes an escape, a temporary fix for daily problems, which can quickly lead to addiction.
Interestingly, couples who game together in a game in which they interact positively, see gaming as an activity that strengthens their relationship because they share an interest and interact with each other during the game. However, when one spouse is playing excessively, other family or work responsibilities are left to burden the other spouse. This, combined with a loss of communication and intimacy, can doom a marriage.
Certainly we encourage couples to do their best to save their marriages, especially when there are children involved. Since Gaming Disorder is a real addiction, counseling may be necessary in order to overcome the addiction first, followed by much work to heal the damage done to the marriage and family.
Our law firm is here when all efforts have failed. We handle child custody issues as well as divorce settlements through mediation, collaborative law, and litigation.