In the context of a world where everything seems to evolve around money and independence, there is no wonder that divorce in America is an actual phenomenon. Just how popular is divorce in America? Or, more interestingly, how come, nowadays, people get a divorce that quickly and easily, without even trying to put some effort into their marriages?
To answer the first question, we should start from the idea that divorce in America is now, at the highest rates – in fact, divorce in America is more popular than in any other Western country at this moment. Moreover, USA is the third one on the “countries with highest divorce rates” list, just after Maldives and Belarus. Now if this does not seem worrying, then what does? But what can be the main explanation for the above mentioned fact? Why is divorce in America so popular and even trendy? After all, the rates started to go over the top just two decades or so ago, so we are actually dealing with a so called “divorce fashion” or “divorce is in”.
America is, without a doubt, one of the most pragmatic countries in the world. Moreover, the US life, in general and lifestyle is based on efficiency. As long as a marriage works optimally, there are no problems attached. But when the troubles do start to appear, the pragmatic spirit and need for efficiency dictate seeking for divorce, or, better said, the easy and comfortable way out.
In a world where time is extremely precious and where the priorities are clearly headed towards personal power and success, making extra effort and sacrificing precious years in order to save a marriage might seem inefficient. Is this the right attitude? No, but sadly, it is what explains the rates of divorce in America. When one individual’s top priorities regard career and financial gain, the space allocated for love matters tends to diminish and the problems begin to appear. And there is no doubt that job-related matters and money are top reasons why people divorce in America.
But this is not all. What perpetuates this divorce in America trend? Who promotes it? The answer is simple: the media does. Think about it: you open a tabloid or even a serious newspaper and what you see is a big divorce in America scandal that puts some celebrity in the spotlight. Or you read or watch how famous people marry and divorce with high speeds. Can you stay immune to all these? The fact is that mass media has a subtle power of influencing your beliefs and values, or, better said, the society’s trends and changes. Now, divorce seems a regular, daily event that does not even impress anymore, even though things were considerably different 25 years ago.