Why are So Many People Choosing to Stay Single?

Written by Lady T

It used to be common for little girls to watch the way their mothers managed their families and households, and the girls would dream of growing up, getting married and having their own families to manage one day. Likewise, it was common for little boys to watch their fathers work and earn livings to provide for their families, and the boys expected to grow up and emulate their dads.

Nowadays it seems more common for girls and boys, at a younger age than previous generations, to consider what career paths to choose so they can support themselves financially and independently. High schoolers are more interested in going to college or getting jobs upon graduation than settling down into serious committed relationships that may lead to marriage.

So what has changed to make young people less interested in starting their own families? Although I don't have statistics to prove it, I theorize that partly it's due to women being able to get lucrative prestigious jobs now that weren't available to women generations ago. Along with the fight for civil rights in the 1960's, women fought for the right to vote, equal employment opportunities and equal pay. Women won the fight, and laws were put into place to ensure their viability. As a result, women can afford their own keep and no longer need to depend on a husband's salary for survival.

Men may feel relief as well since they're no longer expected to single-handedly financially support their wives and children. Men can date women and find that many women are eager to pay for their own meals and willing to pay a fair share of household expenses if they cohabitate, whether married or not.

Men and women view sex differently from the past generation. Whereas it used to be taboo for people to discuss sex publicly, many men and women today not only freely discuss and engage in premarital sex, but bear children outside of wedlock. Celebrities including Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell have been committed unmarried romantic partners for more than 4 decades and share a son. Both said they feel marriage does not cement a relationship. Many couples share their philosophy.

With the divorce rate at about 40% as of 2025, people should weigh the benefits of getting married versus staying single. One of the most popular reasons for divorce is financial disagreements and another is infidelity. Unmarried couples who are in unstable, unhappy relationships would be wise to consider if it makes sense to get married just to be cheated on and left broke, or worse. That's not to say that couples should never consider marriage; it means if an unmarried couple has been together a long time and already has severe problems, they would be fooling themselves to think that simply signing a marriage certificate will resolve their issues.

Love is indeed a beautiful thing. When an unmarried couple has a good thing going, they may want to stick with the old adage: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.