Introduction
For years, the average age that people get married has been on the rise. The aspect introduces the query of why individuals are willing to wait longer before tying the knot. The once great institutions of marriage, going to church, being a member of a political association have become hollow in the presence of today’s young adults. This essay attempts to outline the various factors that make the millennial generation unwilling to get married at an early or considerable age. The paper will conceptualize on three probable causes of the delayed marriages. They include the development of personal interests, cohabitation, and high divorce rates
Body
Young adults are in no rush to join wedlock. Unlike the 1950s and 60s when individuals were eager to find love and would get married in their late teens, today’s adults are willing to wait till their late 20s and 30s. They give more precedence to their individual needs such as putting the union on hold to pursue education, better careers, make money, or travel. Women had obtained a chance to advance in their careers with the growth of feminism that allows them to venture into male-dominate job sectors (Gamino, par. 4). Both the men and women want to be economically secure so that they do not depend on another individual for support.
Christopher Middleton provides another personal urge that has made people waiting longer to tie the knot called the bachelor pad theory where the men prefer staying single to enjoy a life of promiscuity. The thrill of being young and free allows them to do whatever they want as time is on their side until they are old enough to focus on making a family (Middleton, par. 6). The self-interests serve as reasons for the millennial generations to wait and not rush into marriage. For them, the institution comes last in the list of the things they have to do as youths.
Today’s couples opt to live together or cohabitate before tying the knot. Many countries have experienced a surge in the rates of cohabitation over the past two decades. It serves as a means of testing the waters to identify whether they are suitable to share their lives together in the long-run. The condition acts as a way to escape relationship pressures when the going gets tough since there is not commitment involved. The stigma involving kids outside wedlock, cohabitation, and sex has dropped significantly. At the same time, the governments have accorded legal provisions for cohabitation supporting the cause even further (Micah, par. 9).
However, experts reveal that cohabitation can damage the relationship and acts as the cause for the high divorce rates in today’s society. Individuals believe that they only way to know if a car is suitable for them is by test driving. But the longevity of the vehicle entirely depends on the way the owner will maintain it and not the test drive. Cohabitation also prevails amongst couples who cannot afford to pay for the wedding that people will live to remember. However, all that counts in a union is the two individuals that become one and not what everyone else thinks about the marriage (Micah, par. 10).
The third cause of the low marriage levels is divorce. The rising rates of divorce and single parents present a sense of fear amongst the adults who come from broken homes. According to Gamino, the numbers of divorces in Oklahoma have been on the rise since the1980s. Fear is thus an essential factor for those who are not willing to get married if years down the line they have to live their partners and inconvenience their kids. The young adults who were once children of broken homes are particularly cautious and scared to enter the union. They find it hard to trust their partners fearing that what happened to their parents will occur to them. Hence, they would rather stay or wait until they are sure that their partners are the appropriate people to marry and raise a family (Micah, par. 21).
Conclusion
Marriage is associated with numerous costs ranging from the wedding, children, property, and the maintenance of the family. Hence, people may prefer to remain single if they do not have the money to cater for the expenses related to the union. It becomes easier to stay without committing to a person with the introduction of birth control medication that allows people to satisfy their sexual interests. The aspect has made the domain of marriage lose the value and respect that it once had. It now appears like a life-long prison to many individuals with numerous burdens attached to it (Lloyd, par. 4).
Since today’s generation is concerned with securing better jobs, more income, and supporting the equality between women and men, it is now possible for people to share the burdens of child rearing and household expenses. Hence, if the costs are shared between two individuals with the capability to earn an income, marriage should not appear expensive. John Lloyd emphasizes that marriage has indeed lost all the respect that it had by using the example of Christmas and what it represents.
The holiday season is a period of happiness and cheer as people look forward to receiving and giving gifts (Lloyd, par. 2). Once the essence of Christmas fades and the respect for the holiday dwindles, individuals will treat the season as just any other day on the calendar. As for the costs associated with marriage, it may be difficult to raise the issue of sharing expenses and duties in the traditional societies that still hold on to the values of men being providers and women the caregivers.
Works Cited
Lloyd, John. Not much left to respect. New Statesman (1996), Dec 17, 2001, Vol.130 (4568), p.31(3). Web. Accessed June 16, 2015 from <http://tcna.primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do;jsessionid=6D39DEE0B60C02AAB0C13EB641336615?tabs=viewOnlineTab&gathStatTab=true&ct=display&fn=search&doc=TN_gale_litrc81761676&indx=3&recIds=TN_gale_litrc81761676&recIdxs=2&elementId=2&renderMode=poppedOut&displayMode=full&frbrVersion=2&query=any%2Ccontains%2Cwhy+are+people+waiting+longer+to+get+married%3F&search_scope=01INCARNATE_EVERYTHING&dscnt=0&scp.scps=scope%3A%2801INCARNATE_ALMA%29%2Cprimo_central_multiple_fe&mode=Basic&onCampus=false&vid=01INCARNATE&institution=01INCARNATE&bulkSize=20&highlight=true&tab=default_tab&vl(83530896UI0)=any&displayField=all&vl(freeText0)=why%20are%20people%20waiting%20longer%20to%20get%20married%3F&dum=true&dstmp=1466147018458>
Micah, Gamino. More couples deciding not to tie the knot. McClatchy - Tribune Business News, Feb 11, 2008. Web. Accessed June 16, 2015 from <http://tcna.primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do;jsessionid=6D39DEE0B60C02AAB0C13EB641336615?tabs=viewOnlineTab&gathStatTab=true&ct=display&fn=search&doc=TN_proquest462448544&indx=6&recIds=TN_proquest462448544&recIdxs=5&elementId=5&renderMode=poppedOut&displayMode=full&frbrVersion=2&query=any%2Ccontains%2Cwhy+are+people+waiting+longer+to+get+married%3F&search_scope=01INCARNATE_EVERYTHING&dscnt=0&scp.scps=scope%3A%2801INCARNATE_ALMA%29%2Cprimo_central_multiple_fe&mode=Basic&onCampus=false&vid=01INCARNATE&institution=01INCARNATE&bulkSize=20&highlight=true&tab=default_tab&vl(83530896UI0)=any&displayField=all&vl(freeText0)=why%20are%20people%20waiting%20longer%20to%20get%20married%3F&dum=true&dstmp=1466147018458>
Middleton, Christopher. Privilege of a city slicker. Financial Times, Feb 10, 2007, p.1. Web. Accessed June 16, 2015 from <http://tcna.primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do;jsessionid=6D39DEE0B60C02AAB0C13EB641336615?tabs=viewOnlineTab&gathStatTab=true&ct=display&fn=search&doc=TN_proquest249987416&indx=2&recIds=TN_proquest249987416&recIdxs=1&elementId=1&renderMode=poppedOut&displayMode=full&frbrVersion=&query=any%2Ccontains%2Cwhy+are+people+waiting+longer+to+get+married%3F&search_scope=01INCARNATE_EVERYTHING&dscnt=0&scp.scps=scope%3A%2801INCARNATE_ALMA%29%2Cprimo_central_multiple_fe&mode=Basic&onCampus=false&vid=01INCARNATE&institution=01INCARNATE&bulkSize=20&highlight=true&tab=default_tab&vl(83530896UI0)=any&displayField=all&vl(freeText0)=why%20are%20people%20waiting%20longer%20to%20get%20married%3F&dum=true&dstmp=1466147018458>
