It’s Time to Redefine ‘Key Milestones’ for Young Adults
Especially since fewer are choosing to marry and have children
Today’s young adults aren’t marrying and having children like young adults of years past, the Pew Research Center recently declared in its analysis of “key milestones” reached or missed.
“The falloff has been especially sharp among young adults ages 25 to 29: 29% were married in 2023, compared with 50% in 1993. The share married among those ages 30 to 34 dropped from 63% in 1993 to 51% today. Young adults today are also less likely to have a child living in their household than their counterparts in 1993.”
Other “key milestones” mentioned are college enrollment and completion, employment and wages, and student loan and mortgage debt.
Perhaps it’s time to stop considering marriage and procreating as “key milestones,” especially since there are many more ways to shape our romantic relationships these days — if we even want a romantic relationship, that is.
It’s true — fewer young people are marrying and those who are putting a ring on it are increasingly marrying later. More are marrying multiple times and many are happily single. Many young people don’t want children and others are single parents by choice or co-parent with a non-romantic partner…
