Gen Z Is Rewriting the Rules of Marriage — Here’s How
A new article coins it the “Golden Age of Marriage.”
According to The Knot‘s “Thought on Marriage” report, Gen Z and Millennials are rewriting the script on dating, love and weddings.
If you’re a woman, you’ve definitely been “marriage shamed” either by the internet or your mother. You know, having to modify your appearance or else “no one will marry you,” and altering your entire life around that “Elf on the Shelf.” However, a new marriage report revealed that “There are more single people over 40 than ever before,” with women leading in the happiness department. ”Behavioral scientists state that single women over 30 without children are the happiest subset of people in the country,” the publication wrote. Ironically, older men aren’t thriving in singledom, so much so that Psychology Today has marked it as a trend called “lonely, single men.”
Where older generations are embracing a new idea of singledom, it appears Gen Z is creating a new idea of connection. No longer is Gen Z rejecting the idea of marriage, as reported in 2022. At the time, researchers were concerned that the onset of COVID-19 had annihilated the concept of marriage as it promoted a social culture of individuality. But research shows that marriage isn’t actually an outdated concept for Gen Z.
In fact, only 8% “believe marriage is outdated,” while “81% of Gen Z are open to the possibility of getting married. 1 in 2 people already see it happening for them, too. The Knot‘s research also discovered that Gen Z may be more thoughtful when it comes to marriage as “78% of Gen Z have already taken at least one wedding action related to planning a wedding — even more so than Millennials.”
Psychology professor Charles T. Hill, says, ”While most of Gen Z hasn’t embarked upon the wedding planning process, they still feel largely positive about marriage. [The marriage certificate] makes it a legal commitment, and the ceremony makes it a social commitment, with recognition and approval from family members and friends. It may also be a religious commitment, depending on the setting and the officiant.”
However, if you’re still contemplating marriage after witnessing failed unions or just have a general disinterest, you’re not alone. “Among those who were unsure of whether they wanted to legally get married, half (49%) said they would still want a party to honor their relationship.”
In fact, The Knot predicts “A possible future trend is couples throwing a celebration to mark their partnership, without signing the marriage certificate.” Why? Well, as Hill shared, “Marriage as an institution is here to stay because it meets personal, familial and societal needs that cannot be as easily met through short-term interactions.” So whether you “do the damn thing” and sign a certificate or opt for long term partnership, the point is that long term partnership is here to stay.
In other news, Kris Jenner is sharing her sex secrets… again…
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