zlacker

>>jimsoj+(OP)
I wonder what the effect of this phenomenon will be on India's famously low divorce rate. And if the divorce rate does increase, will it increase for both arranged and non-arranged marriages at the same pace?

Can young people make better choices than their parents? Or has the divorce rate been so low because parents had a bigger stake in mediating to save face?

>>ern+sw
Indians (and Bengalis and Pakistanis) don't get divorced for three major reasons: 1) it's culturally discouraged, and even severe problems get swept under the rug so people can save face; 2) with a workforce participation rate under 30%, most Indian women have little choice but to stay in their marriages; 3) the stigma of divorce makes it very difficult for divorced women to get into other relationships.

>>rayine+HA
Yes. I've often heard people say things like "Oh, divorce rates are rising, how terrible" – but that's got a certain "silent evidence" problem to it.

Divorce rates increasing doesn't NECESSARILY mean marriages are getting worse, it could also mean that people in bad marriages now have more freedom to walk away. It's a lot more complex than what it seems at first glance.