In a time of dysfunctional "relationship goals" and the notorious 72-day marriage of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries, how many millennials truly value marriage and monogamy?
It seems that many young people no longer hold marriage to the high regards that it once held. These days we are opting to "talk" instead of date and marriage seems unspoken of. This can be attributed to the lack of monogamy within pop culture, the great influence of social media on relationships, and too many of us with divorced and single parents.
Marriage is a huge commitment and responsibility. Typically, people get married because they love each other and want to spend the rest of their days with each other. Today's media has abused marriage and used it for publicity stunts or entertainment purposes. Meanwhile, infidelity and promiscuity is increasingly idolized within the music industry. On top of that, a growing list of celebrities have been caught cheating, making it seem as if it is normal. On her most recent album "Lemonade," Beyonce (presumably) revealed that Jay-Z had been unfaithful. Can you believe it? The relationship that had been excessively glorified since its beginning was not what we all thought it was.
In addition to the poor representation of marriage in pop culture, social media outlets have further contributed to the tarnishing of marriage. Many promising relationships have been obliterated because of the connectivity and power of social media. In previous generations, it was much easier to cheat and get away with it. One would only get caught by word of mouth or hard evidence. Today, all it takes is a simple heart eyes emoji under someone's picture to strike suspicion. Though social media is a platform that many relationships have formed upon, it is also one that many have broken upon. More couples are focused on perfecting their social media image, rather than their actual relationship.
Another factor in the devaluation of marriage roots from too many of us having single and divorced parents. When I was a small child, my parents got divorced and I was raised by my single mother. I saw her do everything on her own for the majority of my life, and have no qualms doing the same myself. The thought of marriage seldom crosses my mind, and I have never given it heavy thought. Though I know it is something I desire, I feel as if I would be fine without the title.
I'm not sure if it is good or bad, but I have noticed that millennials are becoming more cautious about who they are willing to commit themselves to, and some have completely avoided commitment. Is it out of fear, or just preference?
