Think about how many people you know who got married within the past 5 to 10 years. Next, think about how many of those people are still married to the same partner. Now ask yourself: Is marriage outdated?

Current Events
For decades, the tradition of marriage has been built up into an expected rite of passage. By the time a young man or woman reaches their mid 20’s, American families begin with the prodding question “So, when are you getting married and giving us a grandchild?” However, the concept of marriage is rapidly becoming about as necessary as a VCR.
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According to a Pew Research Center/Time Magazine survey, age, income, social status, and education have all altered our thinking on whether we should bother heading for the altar in the 21st century. A survey of 2,691 Americans found that nearly 4 in 10 think marriage is becoming obsolete. That’s an increase of 11% since Time asked the same question in 1978. With life expectancy increasing, more and more young adults are choosing careers, travel and the joys (and variety) of being single longer over married life. In previous generations, employers thought of married employees as more stable, but with higher job demands that theory is no more. Previously, couples needed to be married in order to start a family, but more young adults are choosing to conceive without marriage, or even adopting children as a single parent. So, why still get married?

Current Events
Most younger women surveyed said they wanted to get married out of “tradition,” or to fulfill a childhood wish of feeling like a princess and having the wedding of their dreams. Or in other words, these women wanted the magical wedding day but had not given much thought to the actual MARRIAGE that followed. On the other hand, most younger men surveyed said they only considered marriage due to constant pressure from parents (who wanted grandchildren), co-workers, or their girlfriends (whose biological clocks were ticking), but that it was not really at the top of their list of priorities. They pointed out that in these modern times, they could have all the perks of marriage (living together, sexual activity, having children, etc.) without first having to make a long term commitment. These same men also listed their desire for variety as a factor and the undesirable thought of being tied down to one woman for the next 50+ years. Men were also fearful of a woman ruining them financially following a divorce.

In its day, marriage was a very necessary convenience.  During the 20th Century, an older generation initially married for moral and spiritual reasons, for stability, and for permission to be intimate with their partner. These same couples often stayed together over the years (even after sexual intimacy had long since ended) out of companionship, because of children and grandchildren, for the ease of sharing expenses, and to care for each other in their later years during medical hardships. However, a younger generation no longer considers the thought of “elder companionship” urgent or a necessity. Also, in this age of the Internet and the dawn of sites such as Match.com and others, connecting/hooking up with someone in the same city or even across the world is as simple as the touch of a button. Or in other words, variety has become the new buzz word and is all the rage.  Even same-sex couples, who fought long battles for the right to marry, are calling it quits only a few years after saying “I do!”
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Current Events
How realistic is it to make a promise at the age of 20, then be expected to keep that same promise forever and without default? For example, could someone commit to eating chicken and rice everyday for the rest of their lives? Could someone enjoy the style of bell bottomed pants and platformed shoes in the ’70’s, but then have to wear that same style for the rest of their born days over a promise? That is what marriage does and expects, which is theoretically unnatural.  So why should we continue forcing a square peg into a round hole by following the unnatural tradition of marriage, when the odds are already stacked against us that the tradition is outdated and doesn’t really work?
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Is marriage outdated? Is the concept of marriage overrated? Have we all been conditioned to maintain the myth of marriage merely out of tradition, when its principles may no longer match life in the 21st century? Or is it time we finally accepted the “new” family — a family that consists of a man and a woman or 2 men or 2 women, with sexual intimacy and children — all without the need for a signed contract?