Being pressured for marriage by parents or relatives is something many of us have encountered. But for a 38-year-old man in China, his single status was so troubling for his mother that she started taking him to a psychiatric hospital every Lunar New Year to get checked.
However, in a surprising twist, the doctors at the facility countered her claims that there was something wrong with her son and said that it was she who had developed a mental disorder of “forcing” him to marry someone, as per a South China Morning Post report. A video of the incident went viral on Chinese social media, sparking a debate on the pressure on youths to get married.
Wang, who was identified by his surname only in the clip, said that he has never brought a girlfriend home for Lunar New Year. This led to his mother believing that he “has something wrong in the head”. So, she forced him to see a psychiatrist every year for the holiday. This year as well, Wang was taken by his mother to the Henan Provincial Psychiatric Hospital. The 38-year-old went along with his mother’s bizarre request to keep her reassured.
This time, the doctors told Wang’s mother that there was nothing wrong with her son. It was she who had developed the obsession of “forcing her son to marry”.
The video of the incident has started a debate in China about how young people are pressured to find a partner. While the older generation is keen to see their children and grandchildren settle down, people in their 20s and 30s are skeptical about the institution of marriage. In addition to that, rising cost of living, the practice of “bride price” in less developed areas, where the groom pays money to the bride’s family and asking parents for permission before marriage are some of the sources of generational differences over the issue.
Wang takes himself as an example of the same. The 38-year-old has been working in Beijing for over a decade, first as an actor and now as a tennis coach. In an interview to Beijing News, he stated that he is known in his hometown as “the super single old man”.
“I should not be identified as an unmarried person. I am just very busy and haven’t met the right person. My mum can’t sleep because I don’t get married, so I feel quite upset”, Wang added. In addition to that, he said that he hasn’t saved enough money for a down payment on a home in Beijing, so his marriage prospects are limited.
Wang’s video, posted by Sohu News, has garnered over 2,000 comments, according to South China Morning Post. Many users have responded how their elders keep forcing them to tie the knot. A lot of them also questioned the obsession of their elders with marriage.
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