As it turns out the marriage issue is very complicated and ever changing. We were led to believe that people, particularly women, were hot wired to find a mate and reproduce. Now we learn that a quarter of young adults (millennials) don't want to get married at all. For those who do, they're waiting longer than ever.
So, what's up with that?
Michele Sudia, author of Miss Millennia Magazine has come up with 15 reasons why young adults are more and more disenchanted with marriage. Here are a few of her ideas.
- Marriage is not necessary in a women's life to be successful.
- Millennials are children of divorce. Children of divorce tend to have more relationship issues.
- Most millennials are in debt. The average cost of a wedding is $26,000.
- Since time began people have been getting married because a baby was coming. "They had to get married" was a common assumption when babies arrived a few months after the wedding. Contraception has changed this paradigm.
- Sudia tells us: "...marriage isn't the first step of adulthood...a degree is." And with the degree comes those crippling student loans.
- Casual sex is readily available via the Internet.
- Careers are stressful. Weddings cause more stress.
- The traditional concept of marriage where women are property of their families, and are transferred to their husbands, is no longer appealing.
- Marriage laws force couples to share debt and make divorce extremely expensive for both partners.
- Many people don't like living with other people. They like being alone - and it's become socially acceptable.
Despite all of the above being true, I think the majority of us enjoy traveling though life with a mate. I know I do.
***
