More Women Are Listing Video Games As A Cause Of Divorce

Researchers have found that the number of women who list too many video games as a reason for the end of their marriage has skyrocketed in the past year. According to the study, 15 percent of women who said that their relationship ended in divorce because of unreasonable behavior listed video games as the habit that ended their marital bliss. Just last year, only five percent of women listed the same cause.

Specifically women in the divorce study cited two popular games, “World of Warcraft” and “Call of Duty” as the biggest relationship busters. Both games, one a role-playing game that takes place in a fantasy land, the other a first-person shooter game that takes place in war zones, could be seen as a way for the player to escape into a different world.

Why do researchers believe that this digital cause of divorce is spiking? For one, more and more adults have now grown up with video games – and have made them part of their everyday lives. In addition, video games may be seen as a way to escape stressful times, such as a job loss, a poor economy, or an unfulfilling relationship. Finally, some believe that video gaming, especially with the games mentioned above, can lead to actual addiction – an addition that requires professional attention. 

One woman interviewed for the study said that she finally filed for divorce when her husband was playing video games up to eight hours a day.