Young people aged 14 to 20 years are more satisfied with being single today than their counterparts were ten years ago, according to a study by the Institute of Psychology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). Throughout the world, marriage rates have been declining over the past decades, while divorce rates and single-person households have been on the rise.
“It seems that today’s adolescents are less inclined to pursue a romantic relationship. This could well be the reason for the increased singlehood satisfaction,” said psychologist Dr. Tita Gonzalez Avilés, the study’s lead author. As the number of single individuals grows, this research provides new insights into how this trend affects personal satisfaction.
TRENDS IN SINGLEHOOD AND SATISFACTION
“Notably, in Western industrialized countries, singlehood is no longer unconventional and is now considered more socially acceptable than in the past,” stated Dr. Tita Gonzalez Avilés from the JGU Institute of Psychology.
The study analyzed data from the Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (pairfam), which has been surveying romantic relationships and family dynamics in Germany since 2008. The recent study is based on information from 2,936 participants across different birth cohorts, covering the periods 2008-2011 and 2018-2021. This allowed researchers to compare satisfaction levels among singles in adolescence (14-20 years), emerging adulthood (24-30 years), and established adulthood (34-40 years).
COMPARING GENERATIONS
The findings, published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, show that adolescent singles born between 2001 and 2003 were more often single and more satisfied with singlehood than those born ten years earlier. However, no significant differences were found in satisfaction among emerging adults (24-30 years) and established adults (34-40 years) across the two cohorts.
FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO INCREASED SATISFACTION
Although the difference in satisfaction between today’s adolescents and those from ten years ago is not large, it is significant in the context of historical developments among adults. Gonzalez Avilés and her co-authors suggest that living as a single has become more normative over time, especially among younger generations. Additionally, there has been a shift in attitudes toward romantic conventions, with young people being more open to diverse relationship types.
“We assume that adolescents nowadays may postpone entering into a stable relationship because they value their personal autonomy and individual fulfilment over a romantic partnership. However, these explanations are – for the time being – speculative and require further investigation,” concluded Gonzalez Avilés.
IMPLICATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH
The study sheds light on changing societal norms and attitudes towards singlehood among adolescents. As singlehood becomes more accepted and even preferred among younger generations, it could influence future trends in relationships, marriage, and family dynamics. Further research is needed to understand the underlying reasons for this shift and its long-term implications on personal well-being and social structures.
