By Xu Fan

CHINA DAILY

As an experienced expert on love and marriage psychology, Zhu Li, the CEO of a renowned matchmaking website, talked to METRO about her opinions on cyberspace marriage, or known as “wang hun”.

METRO: How do you define “wang hun” which is currently a popular Chinese item created by Internet surfers?

Zhu Li: Actually, “wang hun” is one kind of Online games. People, who suffer lonely in real world or need psychological compensation in some way, might search for making friends online and develop into online marriage in a simulated way. If a man and a woman fall in love with each online, they can apply to get married in a game-system set by relevant website. They can hold wedding ceremony, decorate online apartment and even enjoy honeymoons.

METRO: What’s the majority group that addict to cyberspace marriages?

Zhu Li: According to my observation and personal experience, the young people aged averagely above 25 years old may be the biggest group among all the game participants. However, some domestic media revealed that more and more junior and primary school students have joined the group.

METRO: Why they want to search a fictitious love on Internet but not try to find Mr or Ms Right in the real world?

Zhu Li: There might be many different causes. Some people may lead a simple or even boring life in real world and hardly to enlarge their social circle. Such people are easily to feel lonely and search for accompanies online. Some ones may suffer unsatisfied family lives in actual society so they are thirsty to search for compensation in cyberspace. Such kind can be called “spiritual betrayal of marriage”, which are sometimes more injuring than physical betrayal.

METRO: How do you think about the young boys and girls who are still school students but called each other “my husband” or “my wife” online?

Zhu Li: It can mainly attribute to their early maturing or seek-novelty psychological activities. For students who’d better spend more time on learning, it would be a regretting waste of time.

METRO: Do you think if people can sometimes enjoy benefit from the online marriage?

Zhu Li: Yes, depends. If some young people suffer a comparatively narrow social circle and succeed in finding true love on the Internet. It will be really blessing for them if they can walk to a real-world wedding ceremony.