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By Suzanne Blake
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Generation Z or "Gen Z" might be gearing up to change record low marriage rates in the United States if their views on serious relationships have anything to say.
Over the last 50 years, marriage rates have plummeted by roughly 60 percent, according to the National Center for Family & Marriage Research. While marriage used to be seen as a rite of passage, millennials have been forgoing the life event that many of their elders viewed as necessary.
In a Pew Research Center report published last year, a quarter of American 40-year-olds had never been married, compared to just 6 percent in the 1980s.
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However, Gen Z, which comprises people born between the mid-1990s and the early 2010s, might be looking to change that as they value serious relationships with a focus on marriage, a new Her Campus Media GenZology report found.
The generation overwhelmingly said serious relationships were important to them. More than 40 percent are currently involved in serious relationships, while 27 percent are looking for one. And a clear majority, 93 percent, said they were interested in marriage if they weren't already in the process of getting married.
"Older generations may have felt drawn to marriage out of necessity or obligated based on societal pressures which also led to high divorce rates, but Gen Z sees things differently," Stephanie Kaplan Lewis, co-founder & CEO of Her Campus Media, told Newsweek. "For them, there is renewed hope in committing to a partner and having a built in support system."
The declining marriage rates have been years in the making due to several factors. While views of marriage as necessary might now seem outdated and traditional, many couples are choosing to cohabitate instead and avoid the high prices of a wedding.
Many millennials are also afraid of repeating the mistakes of their parents, as more than 40 percent of marriages end in divorce in America. And while some choose cohabitation instead, many are choosing to remain single altogether.
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The influx of women in higher education and higher earning jobs is also causing many to delay marriage and having children, but if Gen Z is poised to focus on relationships in their early age, that trend could begin to change as well.
There's also a burgeoning redefinition occurring surrounding masculinity and femininity, and heterosexual couples might be able to enter relationships in a healthier way than in decades past, experts have suggested.
"A cultural shift is happening in America," marriage and family therapist Karen Cunningham told Newsweek. "Masculinity is being redefined, much like the evolution of feminism from the bra burners in the '60s and '70s. Men are learning to embrace the totality of who they are as human beings, to include softness, nurture, and that expressing emotion is healthy."
Caitlin Opland, a licensed clinical social worker with Thriveworks, has also witnessed firsthand in her clients that Gen Z is interested in marriage (and redefining it)—there are just some fears standing in their way.
"I believe Gen Z will change statistics. I hear a lot of fear that is based on the decision to get married right now," Opland told Newsweek, adding that this fear usually centers around their lack of trust, trauma from watching their parents' marriages and the costs around actually getting married.
"Gen Z typically wants to build their life and ensure stability while the other generations have been shown to want support, community and milestone achievements first," she said.
Beyond emotional fears, there are economic ones that can potentially stop Gen Z from getting married, according to Stan Tatkin, a therapist, researcher and best-selling author of Wired for Love.
"We're seeing that Gen Zers want to get married, but housing and having money to buy a house are difficult factors that come into play for young people," Tatkin told Newsweek. "Also, notably, they don't judge if you're single. That's acceptable. That's a contrast to attitudes of other age groups, such as Boomers."
Still, some believe Gen Z's views on marriage might just be a result of their youth and relative naivety.
"It's possible that their current marriage beliefs are reflective of their young age," psychologist Lauren Napolitano told Newsweek. "Many of them have yet to experience the grind of working and paying bills for many years or the challenges of longer term relationships."
According to Napolitano, people under the age of 27 tend to be more hopeful and idealistic about their futures, and the traditional view of that has always included marriage and kids. But as people get older, their views and expectations around marriage can fade.
"It will be interesting to see what paths they choose as they move into their later 20s and 30s," Napolitano said.
Meanwhile, a report from Tinder last year found that Gen Z might be the generation with the strongest marriages yet based on the way they approach their romantic relationships, with an increased emphasis on mental health and boundaries.
"Personal development, emotional well-being, and clear communication in relationships are priorities for Gen Z, which leads to stronger and healthier marriages," Tinder's global expert in relationship insights, Paul Brunson, said at the time.
The greater focus on their relationships, emotional intelligence and growth could all trigger a marriage revolution. Camille Tenerife, a marriage and family therapist at Los Angeles-based Diversified Therapy, notes this in her practice as well.
"This generation is becoming more open to understanding what it takes to connect with others," Tenerife told Newsweek. "They are focusing on understanding themselves, too. They are not only spending time in therapy, but they are also talking about it with others and in the community, which can help in fostering connections and eventually in choosing the right partner."
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