Nowadays, things that were rare and unheard of have become the new norm. Cohabitation among couples has become popular in the past fifty years, and young couples are normalizing it. Most couples decide to live together to test their compatibility, which will help prevent future unsuccessful marriages. Surprisingly, the divorce rate has increased in the past decades, showing that cohabiting is a mistake. The author explains how cohabitation can cause many problems and create unhappiness in relationships (Jay, 2012). Moreover, men are more likely to view cohabitation as postponing commitments or testing whether the relationship will work. Such is an example of gender asymmetry, which is usually related to minimal levels of commitment even after the couples are married.
Sliding, not deciding, is considered the easiest way of living with a partner before agreeing to get married. The perspective behind this notion is that living together is much more affordable considering today’s economy. According to Jay (2012), sliding into cohabitation would not be a big issue if coming out of it was that easy. Unfortunately, most couples assume that entering into cohabitation would be an excellent way to lower their cost of living, only to find themselves stuck and unable to get out of the relationship. Cohabitation has complicated setups that involve switching costs, which can sometimes be economical and fun. However, this setup is much more costly than many couples perceive due to the adverse effects created by the agreement. Marrying a partner is much more productive than sliding into living together. Some cohabitation setups work, but it is good to create awareness of the adverse effects that are a result of cohabitation.
Reference
Jay, M. (2012). The downside of cohabiting before marriage. New York Times. Web.