Posted on 06/09/2022 10:17:39 PM PDT by Jonty30
Why does the Millennial generation (people born between 1982-1996) have lower marriage and birth rates than previous generations? And when Millennials do get married, why is it at a later age than previous generations? Prominent periodicals like The Atlantic, Time, Washington Post and others have published articles trying to explain the phenomenon.
Some claim that the cause is economic – we graduated from college into the 2008 Recession, we have a lot of student loan debt, and we receive stagnant wages as housing prices soar. Financial difficulty prevents young people from getting married. This is of course part of the problem, but it is wrong. People got married at a higher per capita rate during the Great Depression and the brutal wars in history, which were much tougher than anything we endured.
Some argue that the cause is increased education, feminism and careerism. People want to focus on establishing a stable career in their youth, including women in equal if not greater numbers than men, which makes them delay family formation. This is also a partial explanation. There is no reason a person cannot pursue education and career while married. If the issue is about focus, we would argue that living “the single life” is even more of a distraction from schoolwork. Even if we concede the argument about focus, it still does not explain the large number of Millennials who are now in their late 30s, well-established in their careers, but still remain unmarried.
(Excerpt) Read more at lifeandtimes.substack.com ...
Feminism didn’t free women from the oppression they were told they were under, it freed men from the oppression they didn’t know they were under.
Women are driving men away. Make better women.
Well said!!
I heard the phrase: men play at love to get sex; women play at sex to get love.
Or: men want to be admired; women want to be desired.
Both are applicable. :)
It’s a conglomeration of things:
1. Feminism/Leftism has made a lot of women both less feminine and hostile to men (to varying degrees). It has also convinced many women that they don’t need a man or want children. Thanks to the Left, the Governent provides a proxy for a man, especially after a woman has a child out of wedlock. While some strong-minded women DO resist the propaganda, the vast majority of them swallow it hook, line & sinker.
2. Thanks to #1, a lot of men have given up on marriage. They are also of the opinion that marriage is great for the woman and not so great for them. With the divorce rate at 50%, this is not necessarily illogical on their part. I have talked to a lot of young men who have completely soured on marriage — at least to a Western woman.
3. The impact of Social Media (SM) also cannot be overstated. Many people are not aware of the extent that SM has distorted the expectations of women. Even a less-than-attractive woman can expect hundreds of pings from men. All that attention (even if the men just want sex and not a relationship) inflates their expectations. Plus, a lot of women are going after a very small set of successful & handsome men. Most regular Joes feel like they cannot compete. Eventually women may expand their pool of acceptable men, but this mostly occurs once they are past their prime.
I’ve long said the smartest a woman can do is be extremely picky in her 20’s, but marry in her 20’s. Treat her husband well and most men will be faithful if they have a happy home to go to.
Or he's not interested in marrying a woman who's closer to her 100th sex partner than her first, for reasons that are obvious to anyone except feminists.
Or he doesn't want to marry under circumstances in which his wife can cheat and the divorce court will make him pay and make it difficult for him to see his children.
Isn't "hookup culture" grand? Can we finally admit that what goes on in people's bedrooms really does matter to society?
This former , angry feminist agrees completely. He showered me with love and acceptance and I came to see what an exceptional husband I have. We married in our early 20’s when we were young and dumb so to speak. And grew together!!
Not as much of one as you would think. There's a graph out there somewhere that shows that the percentage of single men under 30 who report having had had sex in the last year is dropping like a rock, and is now below that of women.
Which is the reasoning women used to justify their sexual activity.
Through the centuries, the demand is for women to be chaste and pure, and yet men have had the freedom by society to be sexually active with impunity.
Now that women are doing the same, men don’t like it so much. Do as I say, not as I do.
And men wonder why feminism took such good root.
FWIW, there is plenty of blame and finger pointing to go around, and God does not exempt men from sexual purity. He expects the same from them as He and men expect from women, ie wait for marriage.
Nope, like you say, it's the cost of free love. Why be burdened with marriage when you can get sex for free (especially relevant for the guys).
We have removed the Natural Law definition of the purpose of marriage, which is meant for a man and a woman to engage in procreation, and more importantly, provide a loving home and a moral upbringing of the next generation. So all that's left is satisfying the sex drive.
Historically, unmarried couples pay less in taxes because their individual incomes put them into a lower tax rate bracket than if they were married. For example, if both wage earners brought home $30,000 in 2016, they would each qualify for the tax rate of 15%. However, if the couple married and filed a joint tax return, with one spouse claiming head of household, their tax bracket for $60,000 annual income would increase to 25%. In 2019, the new tax law will take effect, and it drastically changes the above scenario. For an individual earning $30,000 in 2018, the tax bracket is 12%. For a married couple filing jointly, making $60,000, the tax bracket remains 12%, which is a significant difference from years prior. - https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/living-together-book/chapter4-6.html#:~:text=When%20an%20unmarried%20couple%20cohabitates%2C%20both%20partners%20will,tax%20rate%20bracket%20than%20if%20they%20were%20married.
Except that women can't "do the same," unless they're dating other women. It's far easier for a woman to be promiscuous that it is for a man, and always has been.
I am of course agreeing with you that chastity is the moral law in all cases. But a culture in which the overwhelming majority of women and the top 20% of men are very promiscuous, while the bottom 70% of men just associate women and dating with rejection and humiliation -- which is where we're heading, look at the statistics -- is not a recipe for a culture which survives for the long term.
Many of their fathers have been through the divorce meat grinder and want no part of it.
A key that can open many locks is considered valuable and held onto.
A lock that can be opened by many keys is considered worthless and replaced quickly.
When you raise children as adult aged children that are selfish, self-centered, and emotionally needy, there isn’t any maturity there for a relationship.
It is what happens with the participation trophy generations that have helicopter parents unwilling to let their children grow up and experience any negative consequences.
Parents literally call their children every morning to ensure the child knows their daily schedule, then they call throughout the day ushering their children through that schedule.
Kids fail to learn to receive and never give, the giving needed in an adult level relationship.
Agree.
ask yourself, without the church and 2 God fearing people joining in a HOLY MATRIMONY, what is a marriage but a convenience for 2 people to sort of live together for the benefit of obtaining healthcare and other job benefits. .
Why buy a cow when the milk is free? and if she walks, she gets whatever she can steal or take while hes at work. Thats it. She may empty his bank account quickly, but it wont be a lifetime monthly payment for him.
besides that, women turn into time shares after a few years anyway. You make huge payments for life and you only get to use them about once a year. .unlike a wife, At least you can unload a timeshare ,usually at great financial loss, but its temporary and over once you unload it.
“As men age, their value to the opposite sex goes up. With women, it is the inverse.”
TRUTH! (unless you’re a rich widow)
Your reasons #2-9: Very good, concise summarization!
Regards,
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