WASHINGTON – Married couples in the U.S. are divorcing at higher rate than ever before.
A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the ratio of new marriages to divorce is 2-to-1. That means, for every two new marriages that take place, one divorce occurs.
Psychologist Dr. Leslie Becker Phelps says many different factors affect the current divorce rate, including technology.
“Living modern, fast-paced lives is not conducive to a happy, stable, supportive marriage,” says Dr. Becker Phelps. “Marriage and family takes time, and people are often getting sucked into technology so when they do have time, their relationship is with their iPad, their computer, their TV, you pick it.”
Dr. Becker Phelps also says that attitudes towards marriage and divorce contribute to the surprising statistic.
“It’s gotten easier to divorce over time,” says Dr. Becker Phelps.
Keeping a marriage together may mean turning off the technology and tuning into your spouse.
“You can choose to turn off your iPhone or your iPod or your iPad. You can choose to spend the time with your spouse,” says Dr. Becker Phelps, who also recommends decreasing negativity and increasing positivity in a relationship.
Currently, the U.S. ranks fifth in the world for divorce rates, according to the United Nations Statistics Division, which surveyed 200 countries.
WTOP’s Randi Martin contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter.
(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
