Don’t Blame Facebook for Underage Marriage

Facebook is popular because it helps users to connect and share with their friends and family. Unfortunately, the most popular social networking site in Indonesia is now being accused of triggering an increase in underage marriage in Gunung Kidul regency, Yogyakarta.

An official at the Gunung Kidul religious courts said that underage marriages have increased significantly over the last two years. There are 130 underage couples registered to get married so far this year. This figure has already surpassed last year’s record of 120 underage marriages throughout the year.

But why is Facebook being blamed? It’s because many teenage couples meet each other through the social networking site. Their relationships grow into offline partnerships and finally lead to sexual intercourse. If the girl becomes pregnant, the parents of both kids will want them to get married even though they’re still too young to start a family.

According to Indonesian marriage law, the minimum marriage age is 16 years for women and 19 years for men. Since most couples below the limit are Facebook users, it’s no wonder the social networking giant has become a scapegoat.

It’s complicated…

However, blaming Facebook is an overly simple solution to a complex issue. There are other factors that have led to the rise of the rate of teen marriages. For example, the erosion of social values once embraced by the community. In the past, relationships between teenage boys and girls were very closely restricted and monitored by parents, especially in areas far from major cities like Gunung Kidul. But now teens are free to travel to places far from parental supervision, and they while away hours online. This new habit often leads to sexual activity among teenagers.

Generally, Facebook misuse cases are caused not by some inherent problem with Facebook but by the user’s lack of awareness about the nature of the internet. Young people, especially teens, are easily tricked and often aren’t as careful about the true identities of their Facebook friends as adults would be.

The situation has encouraged some people to develop a healthy internet usage movement. Since 2002, ICT Watch Indonesia – a non-profit civil society institution – started campaigning for Internet Sehat (a healthy internet) through websites and brochures. People can get lots of information on how to use the internet safely and wisely on its website. There is also a Facebook page dedicated to helping teens be safer, more conscientious users.

There are also several other campaigns with similar goals. And since the Internet is a personal yet democratic world, we should not make it the scapegoat for all of society’s ills. Despite what may seem like a negative impact sometimes, there are many who use Facebook for good who we shouldn’t forget about.