People’s lives and communities’ well-being are better when a high number of individuals marry and maintain the relationship than when just a few get married. Despite the declining rates, marriage remains the most potent anti-poverty, anti-delinquency, and pro-health establishment. It is indubitable that opportunities for monetary success, psychological welfare, and promotion of health for the US residents rise when marriage rates increase, and families remain intact. Federal data establishes that the average age for marriage is currently 30 for males and 28 for females. Moreover, from 1978 to 2018, the rate of marriage has dropped from about 60% to 29%, with a high proportion of young people anticipated to never engage in marriage at all (Galvin, 2020). The plummeting marriage rates have created the discernment that Americans do not regard marriage highly anymore.
The level of Americans who are either delaying marriage or avoiding it has risen to a historic high. Americans seem to be placing a higher value on pursuing educational goals and upgrading their financial status than marriage. Although the level at which Americans are getting married is decreasing, the degree at which many marriages are becoming unsuccessful is rising. This has also increased the anxiety of settling down with a spouse in a marriage institution. Americans are increasingly becoming convinced that getting married and having children with a spouse at a young age raises the likelihood of divorce in later life. On the contrary, the number of Americans who are pursuing higher education is progressively increasing. With people concentrating on earning their degrees and getting a stable source of income, the value of marriage is slowly depreciating (Sassler & Lichter, 2020). Women’s independence over and above concerns of gender equality have played a considerable role in the declining marriage rates, with both men and women choosing to chase their dreams and disregarding the need for marriage. The problem is that the reducing marriage level negatively contributes to social welfare in communities, promotion of health, and people’s well-being.
Declining marriage rates have been influenced by most Americans being anxious about or lacking commitment in their love relationships. Such a deterioration of responsibility results in misunderstanding, gloominess, and violence in relationships, making them fail before they progress to marriage. Some Americans have the anxiety that they might lose their freedom the moment that they enter the marriage institution (Galvin, 2020). Some American men mainly feel that being in matrimony requires excessive devotion because it will result in their moves and actions being checked, which is not the case in their independent life outside marriage. Both men and women fear marriage life where they will be expected to account for all the decisions they make to their spouses.
People’s lives and the welfare of society are better when a high number of individuals marry and uphold the relationship than when just a small number get married. From 1978 to 2018, the rate of marriage has fallen from around 60% to 29%, with a high fraction of young people projected to never engage in marriage whatsoever. The dropping marriage rates have created the perception that Americans do not value marriage anymore. Americans appear to be placing a higher worth on the pursuit of educational objectives and advancement of their fiscal status than on marriage. Deterioration of accountability leads to misunderstanding, gloominess, and hostility in relationships, making them flop before they proceed to marriage.
References
Galvin, G. (2020). U.S. marriage rate hits historic low. U.S. News.
Sassler, S., & Lichter, D. T. (2020). Cohabitation and marriage: Complexity and diversity in union‐formation patterns. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(1), 35-61.