By Gavin Boyle
A study from Barna revealed that most young people still hope to be married in the future, though divorce and remarriage rates have become more common across the country.
“Despite shifting norms, most U.S. adults still see marriage as a meaningful foundation for family life and child-rearing,” Barna’s study explained. “Gen Z, however, stand out for both their belief and their questioning. While a strong majority (81%) say they value marriage, this response is lower than every other generation surveyed.”
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The continued interest in marriage by younger adults is encouraging, given how much the media has attacked marriage in recent decades. Nonetheless, while people still view marriage favorably, and the vast majority still want to end up married, less than half of American adults today are currently married, largely due to younger generations waiting longer to tie the knot. For both men and women, the average age an American enters their first marriage is roughly eight years later than it was in 1950 — “from 22.8 to 30.2 years old for men and from 20.3 to 28.6 years old for women.”
Meanwhile, a 2024 study found that the marriage status of a child’s parents plays a large role in how satisfied they are throughout their childhood.
“The finding that children who are born to married parents tend to enjoy better life outcomes is consistent with existing research that has established that children who grow up in two-parent homes are more likely to graduate from college and work and are less likely to have children young, be depressed, be convicted for committing a crime, or end up poor as adults on coverage,” the study said.
This data is very important as the media is very quick to convey the idea that the type of home children grow up in does not impact their life outcomes. Meanwhile, the shows and movies are starting to not only portray but glorify activities that destroy marriages such as infidelity or open relationships.
“Personally, I find it so chic to be divorced by the age of 30,” said model Emily Ratajkowski after her divorce. “There’s nothing better than being in your 30s, still being hot…figuring out what you want to do with your life…having tried that married fantasy and realizing that it’s maybe not all it’s cracked up to be and then you have your whole life still ahead of you.”
The Bible, however, makes God’s plan for marriage very clear — that while not every person is destined for marriage, those who are married have unique challenges ahead but also sweet joys to be found in the relationship. Furthermore, it is only in the context of marriage that kids are to be born and raised.
While it is good news that Gen Z still views marriage positively, Christians should still recognize the direction our culture is taking in regard to the practice, especially as TV shows and movies teach young viewers that things like cohabitation are an option that is just as viable as marriage.
Read Next: How Hollywood Rejects God’s Plan for Marriage
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