For almost all of history, marriage has been the ultimate level-up for humans in the game of life – or at least that’s what society has conditioned us to believe. But, millennials aren’t so sure about that. Globally, marriage rates have been steadily falling over the last few decades, and part of the reason might be the changed lifestyles, goals, and of course, priorities of the millennial generation, who seem to have a lot to check off their bucket lists, before they are ready to tie the knot. So, is the idea of marriage dead? Let’s find out.
This age-old institution, with its customs and obligations, isn’t as appealing to millennials, as the idea of living life on their own terms. Moreover, the age to start taking on major responsibilities in life a.k.a. “adulting”, is steadily being delayed, as young millennials prefer to take their time to explore the world and their life choices, instead of rushing into big decisions.
Speaking of choices, we now have so many! For our love lives, that is. With so many dating apps at our disposal, finding love has become a virtual, digital pursuit. People can pick and choose their romantic partners, and even do trial runs with them! Another big shift over the past couple of decades has been a steady increase in women’s financial independence, security and freedom, enabling them to define their own goals and forge their own paths, without feeling societal pressure to marry.
While we are discussing the validity of this institution in the current times, it’s also important to acknowledge the fact that there is an entire section of our society – the LGBTQI+ community – for whom marriage is not even an option. Same-sex relationships may have been decriminalised in 2018, but same sex partners still don’t have the legal right to get married. Marriage might be an old institution, but it has long been considered an important step in one’s personal life, should one choose to take it, and to deprive an entire community of the right to marry their chosen partner is unjust.
Coming back to our question: Is the idea of marriage dead? Not really. But it is changing. Leaving behind the traditional way of doing things, the millennial generation is definitely changing the rules of the game – choosing to do it their own way, in their own time.
