By Josh D. Simon

According to statistics released by the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs, divorces in the Middle Kingdom climbed a whopping 10.3% in 2009 over 2008. Statistics for 2010 have yet to be released.

According to experts, the driving force behind the alarming increase is one word: selfishness. 

They claim that children born after China’s 1979 family planning policy, which limited families to a single child, are now obsessed with themselves as they go into marriage. They lack the maturity and sharing skills that earlier generations, who grew up with siblings, were obligated to learn and experience.

"The reason the divorce rate is high among post-80s couples is mainly that they value their own interests and rarely care about other people's feelings," Sun Yunxiao, deputy director of the China Youth and Children Research Center told The Straits Times. "They are officially China's first 'Me Generation'."

While there is no separate statistic highlighting how many of China’s 1.71 million couples who filed for divorce are part of this post-80 phenomenon, Yunxiao’s organization claims that they represent about 30% of all divorces – or about 500 thousand.

However, despite the stress and trauma of divorce, there may be a positive ending to at least some of the divorce stories, because they’re triggering personal growth and maturity; perhaps filling in some emotional learning gaps. 

"Divorce is not one party's failure. It is the failure of both parties," stated a 31-year old Chinese divorcee who spoke to the Straits Times on condition of anonymity. “I cherish the good parts and have learned from the bad ones." 

Whether this learning translates into successful second marriages is something to be seen. Hopefully, it does.

Tuesday, May 15
at 8 pm to 8:30 EST
Out With the Tragedy: Turning Divorce into a meaningful experience
with Allison Pescosolido and Andra Brosh, founders of Divorce Detox
Learn More

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