Whether dating for love or just for fun, many millennials do not desire a deeper form of commitment from their partners.
Despite those in committed relationships, many are postponing marriage to their late 20s and 30s, according to research from the University of Virginia’s National Marriage Project.
The research found people are now waiting until they are older to get married on average, with women marrying at age 27 and men marrying at age 29 and numbers still climbing.
The research concluded millennials are putting off marriage because they have come to see it as a “capstone” rather than a “cornerstone,” and as something to do only when they have their “ducks in a row.”
In addition, a 2014 Pew Research survey concluded 33 percent of younger millennials, ages 18-24, and 13 percent of older millennials, ages 25-34, said they are not ready to settle down and are too young to get married, 25 percent of younger and 29 percent of older said they haven’t found what they are looking for in a partner, and 26 percent of younger and 34 percent of older said they are not financially prepared for the commitment.
Not being financially prepared for the commitment is the primary reason for older millennials wanting to delay marriage, according to the survey.
Martha J. Deevey, senior research scholar at the Stanford Center on Longevity, said millennials should have a discussion about finances, like “how to handle household finances, how much debt each partner is coming in with, and what happens if one loses a job or finds themselves unable to work” before setting a wedding date.
Deevey also said women’s view of marriage has changed significantly compared to men’s.
“For women in particular, the ability to delay childbearing and the increased social acceptance may also factor into the decision to delay marriage,” Deevey said. “Men’s ideal age for marriage has remained relatively consistent across age groups.”
Another factor could be the need to finish one’s education, Deevey said.
“More young adults are in college and extending their years of education than ever before,” Deevey said. “Completing education has always been an event that generally preceded partnering or marriage.”
Zoey Smith, a 21-year-old junior theatre major, said she understands why millennials are putting off marriage because she has already been married and divorced herself.
“High divorce rates would be a good reason millennials are putting off marriage,” Smith said. “People jump into it too quick.”
Other students, like 19-year-old art history and Spanish junior Madison Brown, said she thinks the delay in marriage for millennials has to do with social pressure.
“There’s not as much social pressure to settle down,” Brown said.
Noah Balushi, 18-year-old communications junior, said he also thinks a decrease in social pressure is a factor for the delay of marriage for millennials, but most people are opting for other types of partnerships.
“Some people don’t necessarily see the importance of getting it ‘okayed’ by a church,” Balushi said. “You can live with someone and behave as a married couple without having to go through the paperwork and potential divorce.”
