Oh the joys of being in a relationship… are there any? Not according to the latest figures which show that the past year has witnessed the largest surge in the UK’s divorce rate in over a decade, with 116,000 divorce applications, reflecting an increase of nearly 10% compared to the previous year.
Why should you give a shit? Well, naturally, the more divorces, the more chances there are for marketers to tweak their campaigns. After all, where most see misery, marketers see opportunity, especially those who work at law firms, removal companies and dating sites, whose businesses thrive on the back of a juicy break-up.
Another firm which is very interested is Divorce-Online, which claims to be one of the UK’s leading filers of divorce applications. It has decided to delve into the research to identify the most prevalent triggers for divorce in the UK.
Now, apparently, it is all down to you advertising folk (for a change), as the digital age has ushered in a new wave of behaviours, with highly successful marketing campaigns driving consumers to online shopping, online gaming, online betting, online porn, and an overreliance on digital devices. The upshot is that “marrieds” spend hours and hours glued to their phones rather than talking to each other or having sex.
The study claims that these behaviours mean that maintaining a healthy relationship is now virtually impossible.
However, there is help at hand for the newly single, according to a separate YouGov study, which claims that Brits are far more willing to date someone if they have a dog. In fact, just one in nine say they would be actively put off by a canine companion. Cats are a more divisive choice, with nearly a third of singles saying they would be put off if their potential suitor had a pussy.
There are, however, some pets you should steer well clear of if you’re hoping to find a new partner. Most Brits would be less willing to date a tarantula owner, with a mere 2% saying it would increase their attraction to someone. Snakes come not far behind, attracting only 4% and lizard keepers also perform poorly, with only 7% saying they would be more likely to date one.
All of which goes to prove the rather seasonal message that “A dog is not just for Christmas, it’s great for getting your leg over, too”.
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