Fahd Bin Jleid
Al-Jazirah
IT is being said that a Saudi groom had a set condition to his bride when they tied the knot: She had to vow not to use the mobile application Snapchat or Instagram or any other means of communication to share their marital secrets outside their home. This condition was actually written down in the marriage contract after obtaining the bride’s consent.
Last week, people split into two groups. Those who opposed the idea thought it was a type of extreme behavior and rigidity depriving the woman the comfort of modern technology and interference in her personal freedom.
They believed that ditching social media applications is a trivial issue and the couple should pay attention to more serious matters in their marriage to guarantee stability and prevent future disputes.
On the other hand, those who rallied behind the groom thought this was a real victory for him and insisted that we rid ourselves from the excessive use of such technology and applications that betray our family secrets. They claimed that these applications are direct or indirect reasons for most of today’s marital problems and divorces.
Honestly, I find myself confused between the two groups and I can’t blame the young groom who wanted to live in peace with his new bride away from the curiosity and annoyance of others.
Communication applications are quick to transport news. They changed our private lives into live broadcasts for others to look at and follow. This could lead to the evil eye especially when people document the smallest details of their lives and post them for the public’s consumption.
I can’t blame those who want the newly married couple to focus on more important issues. Many of us do not appreciate the impact of such mediums and do not know that they are leading causes of family disputes. Family secrets become suddenly public scandals.
We are unnecessarily bringing others into our private matters through competing to show off. We publish photos and details of our everyday life as if we’re telling others we eat and live better than you do. It creates jealousy and makes people feel things they shouldn’t which could lead to envy and resentfulness.
Even if what is being reported through social media isn’t actually real, members of a family might get together to celebrate a piece of cake or even a piece of chocolate. But suddenly everyone is taking photos publishing them in Snapchat and Twitter. It’s a sad and funny thing at the same time.
Some are calling on couples to undergo training on how to handle social media before marriage so that divorce can be avoided. I don’t know how many of those training sessions today’s grooms need before the wedding night?
