I think it’s all a matter of poor economics and family unit breakdown. Todays’ poor economic climate makes it hard to get married and support a family, particularly at a young age. The family unit no longer exists due to many factors and people do not stay married through tough times.
When I was a kid, kids seemed to mature faster and wanted to leave home at an earlier age. They were getting married while still in high school. They were eager to fly the nest and make a life for themselves.
All they needed was a high school diploma, OJT training, or a skill (technical HS). There were lots of opportunities to earn money (both part-time and full-time) which made supporting a family possible. Family ties were strongly maintained, and marriages endured during the tough times. Also, a divorce was not so easy to obtain, it was a last resort.
There was an American Dream many tried to pursue. Acquiring wealth and keeping up with the Jones next door was the goal of many a family. To fully participate, they need someone to share the wealth, so marriage (male-female kind) was necessary. Married couples acquired wealth faster than singles.
Today, kids do not have the same situations, opportunities, and outlook on life as earlier generations. They are reluctant to leave the warm safe nest except to go to college to earn a useless degree and acquire a huge student loan debt. Then they return to the nest when they fail to get the dream job or maintain the expected lifestyle.
They see little benefit for themselves in marriage and many never get married. Those that marry, do so at a later age when they feel they can afford it. Many find it hard to commit themselves, sacrifice, and live with others. A divorce is easily obtained and many become working single-parent households. With todays’ declining economics, many of them are returning to the nest in mid-life and even later.
These are my opinions based on my experiences. Your mileage may vary.
Agree with your comments.
When I graduated HS in 1960, only about 20% would go to college. A higher % got married or entered the military. The majority of grads had been working at part time jobs since age 14-15, in restaurants, grocery stores, auto body shops, etc.
The brainwashing by the idiots in academia and government that EVERYONE just has to have a college degree, at an exhorbitant cost, is total BS. ....That’s a major factor in the loss of manufacturing industries and trades in America. Why the hell would a manfacturing concern, or anyone else, want to hire someone with a degree in Gender Studies or Black Studies?