Millennials & Marriage
Millennials are rejecting marriage in record numbers.
From 1946–1964, marriage rates were at an all-time high. Ninety-one percent of the population were wed by the age of 40. The average age for a women to get married was 20-years-old, while the average age for men was at the age of 23.
Millennials get married at a much older age, notably waiting until almost their 30’s. Nowadays women tend to get married at the age of 27, and for men the age has jumped to 29-years-old, in reference to studies by Bentley University.
Not only are millennials slower to get married, only 70 percent will be wed by the age of 40. Recent marriage rates also advocate that more people will remain unmarried through 40 than ever before, and one out of every four millennials will never get married, studies suggested by the Pew Research Center.
These numbers indicate that millennials no longer consider marriage as societies ultimate goal.
Millennials have also been cutting ties with religious affiliation in high numbers, many religions are family oriented and see marriage as an ultimate fulfillment, thus lack of attention in religious practices would make marriage less desirable. Marriage ceremonies are traditional and religious, such as the bride wearing an all-white dress, her being walked down the aisle by her father, and the vows that husband and wife are bound to for life.
Americans aged 18 to 29 with no religious affiliations have nearly quadrupled in the last 30 years, at a rate of 10 percent with no religious affiliations in 1986 to 39% percent in 2016.
Millennials are on pace to become the most educated generation ever, which indicates that millennials attend universities in record numbers. Universities who have increased the cost of tuition an eye-raising 213 percent, since 1988. In our age, loans are essential In order to receive bachelor’s and master’s degrees, high college tuition and graduating in a period of economic recession has left millennial students in debt.
In fact, Millennials have record student debt. Since 2006, the national student debt has doubled. The main culprit being the increase of college tuition which has outpaced overall economic inflation itself. This is due to the government lending student’s money and or advocating private lenders to do the same, information gathered by the Burlington Record.
Leaving millennials with extra bills, little leisure money and limited time to go on dates and harbor a romantic relationship. Albeit less attention on marriage is not negative, according to millennials.
Sixty-seven percent agree that society would be better off if people have priorities other than marriage and children. Millennials are focused on their careers and dedicate their time to jobs, instead of fostering a relationship. Nearly one out of every three would be willing to end a relationship if it meant a receiving a considerable raise at work.
To put that statistic into numbers, on average, a millennial would be willing to completely end a relationship for an average income of $37,000 a year. Young adults would also delay marriage in favor of an average income of $64,000 a year, research conducted by Comet Financial Intelligence.
Circumstances such as lack of religious beliefs, record high student debt and the preference to focus on careers all factor in to why millennials marriage rates are at an all time low. The record low numbers express a negative pattern, but the desire for marriage has not completely dissipated.
Catherine Rampell argued in a recent Washington Post opinion piece that marriage is in fact desired but simply out of reach for many millennials:
“Even as marriage rates have plummeted, particularly for the young and the less educated. Gallup survey data shows that young singles very much hope to get hitched. Of Americans aged 18 to 34, only nine percent have never been married and say they do not ever want to marry.”
Traditional marriage come with benefits, such as more tax benefits, more social security options, and lower car insurance premiums. Although, the recent decline in rates indicate that modern society deem tradition marriage to be outdated. New ideas about romance and family should be observed as current rates of traditional marriage demonstrate it is no longer societies highest ideal.
To get a personal outlook upon this matter, I interviewed, Emilio and Adaline, a millennial couple which has been together for 11 years with three children together but are yet to be married.
Question — Have you ever thought of getting married?
Emilio- No, we don’t need that, I don’t believe in that, I think that as long as we have love that’s enough.
Q — So you do not think it is a requirement to be married?
Adaline — No, I don’t think it is a requirement to be married, as long as you’re in love, and willing to do everything for your partner.
Q — Do you feel like marriage is a piece of paper?
Adaline — To me it is just a signature on a paper, I mean all can change, it is nice to have that marriage part in your life, but to me it is not required.
Q — Has it been the economic reasons? Or you just don’t think it is important for the reason you have not been married, or is there any reason at all?
Emilio — Yeah, it could be that too, if you have money you can just get married, and keep on getting married, and keep on getting married, but if you do not have the money, it is not a big thing. People that have money and do it because they want to do it, but it is not something to being playing with.
Q — Do you believe in one marriage, if you get married?
Emilio — Yeah, that is what I am speaking on right there
Q — What can you say is love? Is love marriage or no?
Adaline — No, love is not marriage. In my opinion, I think our three children make our love foundation for us
Emilio — It can be important, for some people it is, for some people it is not.
Q — More millennials are thinking the same, do you think that is the way society is heading? Do you think they should change marriage, or there should be a different type of marriage?
Adaline — I just think that if you do not need that, there is different families that do require that right, depending on your heritage or where you come from, some people do require that in order to proceed in life, but the way things are changing and evolving, I do not think it is something that you need.
Emilio — Those type of families have money, a marriage is for somebody won’t be losing, at the end, people win. Like she said for people it is a requirement, but they use it for different things. To bring in power, she is saying it is a requirement, but it is a stupid requirement, because they just want to gain more things.
Q — Do you think money is the biggest reason for people getting married?
Emilio — Money is a big issue in that department, but people do not see it. But for people who do not have money, they can do it to, because that is just a tradition, but for others they use it for different things, for their own advantage.
Q — Do you feel that is taking away from the sanctity of marriage? because people are using it for that.
Emilio — If you really love someone, and you want to, there is nothing wrong with it, but if you wanting to get married with someone just for other reasons, like, oh I want to come up on his money or I want to get a green card, but that’s another thing. Marriage is something that comes out naturally.
Q — And that definitely hurts marriage, right?
Emilio — Nowadays girls are smarter then back in the day, they were just housewives, now they are like hell no I’m the same, if something happens in marriage, I want half of this, half of that. That is one of the biggest issues that is why a lot of people get married, because the girl does not want to lose on his benefits.
Q — Do you think people get married more because of love or fear?
Emilio — It is like 15 percent love, and the other 85 percent fake, or maybe even less.
Q — Do you believe it is the same way
Adaline — I believe yes, now a days I would have to agree with him.
‘Millennials & Marriage’ podcast, https://anchor.fm/cesar-saldana/episodes/Marriage--Millennials-e2p9u7
Additional Facts and Links —https://pantherchaffey-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/csaldana4809_panther_chaffey_edu/ETyHPcCDYaJNgcYMaH5_qScBbOpTL-SgfYHSryQil1ywYw?e=QFXfeZ
