Social tensions around family life in Azerbaijan are flaring again, and this time the blame has landed squarely on TikTok. As divorce numbers continue to rise – especially among couples married for only a few years – many people have begun pointing to the app as the chief culprit behind the unraveling of young households.
But psychologists say the story is far more complicated.
A convenient villain
In an interview with Yeni Sabah, psychologist Vusala Rustam said TikTok is often treated as a “scapegoat” simply because it is visible and easy to accuse. The deeper fractures, she argues, start long before the wedding ceremony.
“We are watching divorce numbers climb every year. And the advice people hear – from sociologists, psychologists, community elders – rarely stops the trend,” Rustam said. “The problem begins before the marriage. Many young people marry someone they barely know, mistaking a moment of attraction for deep compatibility.”
She notes a stark contrast with older generations, when families spent time learning about a potential spouse’s character, background, and temperament. Today, impulsive marriages are far more common – and so are mismatches.
When the mask slips
According to Rustam, the early months of marriage often reveal traits that were hidden or downplayed during courtship:
“A man who once seemed gentle becomes controlling. He locks his wife at home, restricts her movements, even dictates access to her phone. This is not about TikTok – this is about coercion. A woman trapped in this environment begins to suffocate.”
In this emotional vacuum, many women turn to social media simply because it is the only available window to the world.
“When someone loses freedom inside their own home, the phone becomes a lifeline,” Rustam said. “And yes – in some extreme cases, a woman may leave her home, even abandon her husband or children. People blame TikTok, but TikTok is only the exit door. The real fire started much earlier.”
Digital escape vs. real causes
Rustam stresses that social media does not create marital collapse; it only exposes what was already cracking.
“It’s easier for society to blame an app than to admit the marriage was built without trust, without compatibility, without honest conversation,” she said.
What actually protects a marriage
The psychologist argues that the only sustainable “shield” for families is not a ban on apps, but something far more fundamental:
“Mutual respect. Openness. Real knowledge of who you’re marrying. People must stop hiding their true character before the wedding. The moment the mask comes off, the marriage collapses.”
She warns that children often become the invisible victims of these quiet household battles: “A good choice at the beginning means a stable family, emotionally healthy children, and — ultimately – a healthier society.”
So, does TikTok destroy families?
Not on its own.
But in a home already strained by control, fear, or emotional neglect, TikTok becomes the escape route – and occasionally, the breaking point.
The platform is the symptom.
The root is us.
