In this day and age, marriage is steadily on the rise among the younger side of Gen Z, but why is that the case? More and more, college-aged individuals are seeking comfort in domesticity at such an early time in their lives. We all probably know at least one person who got married as soon as they walked the stage at high school graduation, and it is, in my opinion, a bad idea to seal the deal when your frontal lobe isn’t even fully formed.
Why Young Marriage Is Promising
One of the reasons why putting a ring on it might be appealing to young people is that it creates a sense of security, both mentally and financially. The act of tying the knot signals an idea in these newlyweds’ brains that they’ve “made it,” that they have everything they could ever want because they are legally bound to each other.
In terms of money, being married helps these couples stabilize their finances. Since they (most likely) already live together, the cost of living decreases, and marriage generates tax benefits for them in the long run. In this current economic world, I can understand wanting to be okay with your fiscal standing.
Why Young Marriage Is Problematic
As previously mentioned, marriage before your frontal lobe develops is a huge risk to take. This is because before the ages of twenty-three to twenty-five, you are less inclined to think too hard about major life choices. Therefore, impulsively jumping into the deep end of matrimony seems more tempting.
There’s also the notion that getting married so soon in life deprives you of the experiences you’re supposed to have in your collegiate years. A lot of people online know the term ‘they should be at the club,’ and it is an expression that rings true. Gen-Z should be spending their fresh adult years living it up, as opposed to settling down.
Where Are The Parents In All This?
This is the big question I often wonder about. If two young adults are getting married, I can only imagine what the parents are thinking. Some moms and dads may actually be excited at the idea of their kid getting married so soon. These are probably the same moms and dads that leave them to their own devices the literal second they turn eighteen. They’re adults, so they can do whatever they want… right?
Other parents would probably be against young marriage for the reasons I listed above. I personally side with them, because it really is a colossal-sized step to take. We’re at a time in our lives where the most important thing is to build new skills and form new connections. So, if you truly fall in love with someone and you want the question to be popped, I highly implore you to put that impulse on the back burner.