You Never Call Me

Parents should think twice before pushing their children toward the altar. According to "Marriage: The Good, the Bad and the Greedy," a paper published by the American Sociological Association, married people are significantly less likely than the unmarried to visit their parents and siblings. Only 60 percent surveyed admitted contacting their parents in the past month, as compared with 80 percent of never-married respondents.

Only 30 percent said they'd socialized with friends in the same period, in contrast to 70 percent of unmarrieds.

The silver lining? Married couples are asking less of others: from 1985 to 2004, the number of people they confided in dropped by one third, while the amount of deep discussion with their spouses rose. Here's to wedded bliss—and isolation.

© 2008