By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: Traditionally, matchmaking was done through personal connections, with families relying on friends or relatives to introduce them to suitable partners for their children. However, recently, women and men are using TikTok as a platform to get married. The matchmaker (the host) goes live and women will ask for a list of characteristics they wish to see in their future husbands, then the host will match the women with "male followers".

Jamil Al-Marri

Jamil Al-Marri, Sociologist and Family Consultant, told Kuwait Times that today's generation resorts to social media platforms because of their efficiency and quick "solutions". "The reason for the spread of this phenomenon of marriage proposals on social media is a large number of platforms that are easy to use, as it does not require effort or a specific place and time," he said.

Marri indicated a marriage that takes place through social networking platforms is a failed marriage, affirming that a marriage is a covenant and strong bond that must be appropriate and meet correct means and conditions. "The main success of a marriage is making the right choice, and this cannot be accomplished from behind a screen. Everyone can hide their bad traits and they will not appear until after marriage," he said, adding most experts have emphasized the failure of these types of marriages.

Marri pointed out that ease of the matter is what prompted young men and women to resort to these sites, where social media platforms are like fast food - easy and uncomplicated. "The current generation always resorts to quick methods, rejecting complicated ways. Social sites allow them quick access to their goals with a feature of entertainment," he said.

The sociologist explained that most young people of the current generation, despite their knowledge and culture of the latest brands, fashion and cars, do not have the culture of how to raise a family. "They have knowledge of material aspects but not of how to form a healthy family. The reason for this lack of culture is a joint process by the family and society. Despite the abundance of information available on the Internet, there is no concept of the right choice in marriage. The right way to choose your partner is the first and most important basis for marriage. Our youth is spoiled with luxuries and do not know the responsibility of marriage," Marri rued.

Marri noted that teaching the responsibility and the values of marriage is the parents' responsibility, in addition to not spoiling their children with servants, because a luxurious life makes children choose materialism over personality and morals, that are the future of a successful and long-lasting marriage.

According to the latest official statistics by the Public Authority for Civil Information, the figures indicate that number of unmarried females in Kuwait aged over 15 years is 415,107, of whom 162,233 are Kuwaitis. Unmarried females over the age of 30 who have never been married before number 172,880, of whom 30,624 are Kuwaitis. Women in the age group of 20 to 29 years who have never been married reached 140,815, of whom 65,614 are Kuwaitis.