The obsession with live streaming: How is it destroying marital relationships?
Modern technology has become a double-edged sword, threatening the stability of families. The obsession with live streaming on social media platforms has transformed from a fleeting form of entertainment into a genuine threat that undermines the very fabric of the family unit. Recently, family and social relations experts have observed a significant increase in divorce cases resulting from couples' isolation behind screens. One partner spends long hours immersed in the virtual world, neglecting their essential duties and responsibilities towards their spouse and children, creating a deep emotional gap that often culminates in a silent or formal separation.
The roots of digital transformation and virtual isolation within the home
Historically, social media platforms began as tools to bridge distances and facilitate communication between individuals. With rapid technological advancements and the emergence of live streaming features, these platforms transformed into interactive, live spaces that attract millions of users seeking fame or instant engagement. This digital transformation created a new behavioral pattern characterized by a constant desire for visibility and instant validation from a virtual audience. Over time, this behavior permeated bedrooms and family gatherings, with digital interaction replacing warm, human conversation. This paved the way for the emergence of what is known as "double solitude" within the same home, where couples live under one roof but in completely separate worlds.
The repercussions of the live streaming obsession on the social fabric
The effects of this phenomenon are not limited to the local level; they extend to pose a social, regional, and international challenge that transcends borders. In Arab and local communities, these practices undermine the system of family values based on privacy and discretion. When the details of daily life and marital disputes become fodder for live broadcasts to thousands of strangers, the home loses its security and privacy. Regionally and internationally, behavioral studies indicate that screen addiction weakens the cohesion of future generations, as children grow up in an environment lacking emotional support and familial warmth, threatening to raise a generation suffering from communication disorders and an unhealthy attachment to the virtual world.
A psychological and social perspective on the phenomenon of the "absent partner"
In this context, Faisal Al-Ajyan, a psychologist and executive director of the "Echoes for Mental Health Promotion" group, explains that excessive engagement with live streams creates a state of "virtual interaction addiction," which gradually replaces natural human communication. Al-Ajyan adds that psychological clinics have already begun receiving cases of partners suffering from neglect and complete mental absence, despite their physical presence at home.
For his part, social expert Jaafar Al-Eid confirms that the absence of effective dialogue turns homes into mere “hotels for accommodation,” warning of the danger of “normalizing” this behavior among the new generation, who may see filming private matters and sharing every moment as normal, which weakens the values of containment and family cohesion and makes the marital relationship merely content to be subjected to public evaluation.
Legal classification of partner neglect and privacy violation
From a legal standpoint, lawyer and legal consultant Bandar Al-Omari points to the increasing number of family cases and divorce petitions filed in courts due to the negligence of social media platforms. Al-Omari explained that legal systems, such as the Personal Status Law in Saudi Arabia, rely on the principles of "harm" and "mistreatment" as fundamental criteria for resolving disputes.
Therefore, reviewing the details of married life and revealing its secrets to the public through live broadcasts constitutes a breach of the duty of living together in kindness, and constitutes sufficient legal justification to support the request for separation and judicial divorce of the spouses if it is proven that harm has occurred and cohabitation between the two parties is impossible.
