'The Independent' reports that a new study suggests that couples who met online are six times more likely to get a divorce in the first three years of marriage.
Last month, a study published by the UK-based Marriage Foundation surveyed 2,000 married adults ages 30 and up.
The study found that 28% of couples either met online or through friends and family. An additional 24% of married couples said they met at work.
The Marriage Foundation said that the study highlighted the importance of shared social networks in the early years of married life.
"It suggests that couples who meet [online] might lack sufficient social capital or close support networks around them to deal with all the challenges they face when compared to those who met via friends, family or neighbors." Harry Benson, Study research director, via 'The Independent'
One of the reasons couples who meet online are more likely to divorce is the , “possibility that they are marrying as relative strangers.”
Meeting online also forces couples to build relationships with one another's family and friends “from scratch, rather than being well-established over the years.”
The study also found that the rate of divorce between couples who met online and those who met through friends and family even out after about five years of marriage.