Prometheus 6

Has Being Married Gone Out of Style?

What we're really seeing in all these numbers is that America still loves family — we just don't want to live under the same roof. We have the financial resources to live apart, and in fact money is the driving factor behind all of these choices. Moving to Florida is expensive; so is living in a nursing home. We do it because we can afford to. Divorce is also expensive — it's a decision to maintain two households, rather than one. Women have their own careers and their own source of income — so they can afford to leave crappy marriages. In the same way, our 20-somethings can live with roommates rather than at home because their jobs pay them enough to do so; they don't have to live with Mom and Dad. This financial emancipation has lead to a dispersion of family into separate households, allowing us to be close when we want (like at Thanksgiving), or put some distance between us when we want.

The new era of family is not defined by "not marrying." The true defining traits of this new era are financial freedom and choice. In the 1970s, only 5% of households were a person living alone. Today, 27% are. We have options now. So if we're going to have families in this modern age, we'll do it when we're good and ready.