Critical Analysis of Why Americans Are Getting Married Later in Life than They Used to

The number of Americans who are delaying to get married is at a historic high. Most Americans are single because they want to pursue their education first, be financially stable and lack of commitment. This paper discusses these factors that contribute to late marriages. Marriage is less highly-regarded by Americans. The rate at which young people are getting married is low, and most of their marriages end up being unsuccessful (D’Vera et al., 2011). The record of Americans getting married at an older age has grown since modernization has become a determinant factor in people’s lives. All these factors lead to fear of settling down with a partner into a stable marriage.

Pursuit Education

College-educated Americans are less likely to get children before marriage. This is because they spend most of their time on books and research and therefore have no time for finding life partners or engaging in relationships. They are self-driven, focused on their career than other less-educated Americans. Americans also believe that getting children with a partner before marriage; there are higher chances of splitting. Children are therefore left suffering at their tender ages.

Americans, therefore, prefer pursuing their education first and get married later in life. College educated Americans who get married later in life after getting trained to receive many benefits since they enjoy economic security by getting children when they are financially stable in their marriages. Their financial bump is more significant than that of less educated Americans. College taught Americans who get married later in life make more money than less educated ones (Daphne et al., 2015). That is why most of them prefer getting married late.

The number of Americans who go to school to get educated is multiplying. More college degrees are being earned thus attending college is dragging back marriage timelines for Americans. Americans also believe that being trained is a significant factor that determines the success of marriage as their education helps them get knowledge on how to bring up children as well. They, therefore, prefer finishing their studies and then get children.

Lack of Commitment

Americans get married late due to lack of commitment and being afraid of commitment. Lack of involvement in a relationship causes misunderstanding and unhappiness in marriage. Lack of commitment regarding fear of losing freedom once married. American men mostly feel like being a relationship or marriage demands a lot of dedication since they have to report the moves that they make to someone which is confusing to them since they have been used to living an independent life (Gibson Davis et al., 2015). They fear to live a responsible life since they have to give an account of every decision that they make to their marriage partners.

Trust is everything in a marriage and Americans fear trusting anyone and not until they realize that trust will not be an issue that is when commitment signs show up. Building trust and confidence in a person takes a long time and sometimes years, just trying to find out whether a partner is trustworthy. Dishonesty signs during dating or courtship make partners withdraw from that relationship entirely since they are not ready to be committed to such relationships. No man of integrity can allow himself to be deceived by any woman that is disloyal or dishonest thus closing commitment doors. Many Americans show lack of commitment by having many partners and not ready to dismantle the relationships and love one partner alone.

Most Americans have this assumption about measuring maturity regarding age and therefore believe that they have to grow older to commit themselves to a life commitment after they have matured. Responsibility comes with doing away with all childish habits, thoughts and maturing up. It is difficult to force someone to evolve or grow up if at all they are not willing to, not unless they commit themselves. Emotional capacities and feelings of adolescents need to be eliminated for commitment in marriage to be achieved (Gibson Davis et al., 2015).

Life is so demanding to the point that Americans get a hard time in trying to balance all life factors. Many find it hard to commit themselves since they don’t have the time for dedication in marriages between school, work and family. Maintaining relationships in marriage requires a lot of time, commitment, and dedication. Marriages that happen under pressure never last, but if both partners decide getting married to each other willingly, it does last. Genuine love has to be there for commitment signs to show up. Americans fear to get committed since they are afraid of the outcome that a marriage can have if it fails to work out. People tend to guard their emotions so vigorously so that they may not get hurt and thus fear being committed in a marriage.

To Be Financially Stable

Most marriages take place as a partner is reaching out the economic gains from the partner’s richness. Therefore, most Americans are delaying to get married to be financially unstable or failure to get a life partner who is financially stable. Most marriages today are out of money not love anymore. Americans have a belief that if they begin making ‘serious money’ the more they will attract lovers into their lives. Most American women are a man who has a secure job which some men may be lacking. The most significant problem is that it is challenging for young men to get employed at a tender youth stage until they attain the age of thirty (Smock et al, 2013). This leads to late marriages as life partners wait until they get secure jobs and then get married.

Young men are paid poorly compared to aged ones thus delaying their marriages. Most Americans who get married at young ages tend to get divorced or widowed and therefore remarry age partners who have lacked financially stable partners to get married to. Financial constraints and imbalances in the marriage market are holding back many from indulging themselves into the plunge. Americans prefer getting married when they get an assurance of financial stability to cater to their needs and their children who are a result of marriage.

Americans find it hard to accept the fact that getting a great, perfect marriage is rare. People fear to get themselves into marriage crisis like divorce; women have higher earning power than their husbands and men undertaking house chores burden. As a society, we need to encourage people into getting into marriage despite pursuing their careers, lack of commitment and lack of financial stability and elimination of divorce. True love in a marriage should be insisted upon and happily-ever-after. A perfect marriage is found through understanding your partner’s weakness and trying to make the best person out of them. Finding the secret formula of happiness and understanding that money cannot buy love will help partners succeed since we have great marriages that are not necessarily perfect but steered by companionship, love, equality, and passion.