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Society and mainstream media love to sum up the immense and ecstatic feeling of happiness in three words, ‘I love you’. And without a relationship, a person is simply wasting his youth. Oh, what is life without that passionate teenage love?
Well, reality check, life doesn’t revolve around those three iconic words. A new research conducted by a team of psychologists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in Germany has put the matter to rest, at least for now. The study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, made startling revelations; teens are far from satisfied with their singlehood, and are embracing it instead. The findings also demonstrated a generational disparity in ‘singlehood satisfaction’ between teens born in 2001-2003 and teens born decades earlier. The researchers found that German teens born in 2001-2003 were 3% more likely to be single than those born in 1991-1993.
Change in the world order
For centuries, romantic relationships have been considered an important milestone. Singlehood was disliked, it was looked upon negatively, singlehood was equated with loneliness and misery. Recently, the population of single individuals has seen a rise. With the decrease in marriages and the priority of pursuing education and career goals, singlehood is accepted with open arms. Social pressures to take on adult social roles (marriage and parenthood) have decreased. The world has opened up with social media, which has changed the view of being single, that it is not a lonely house full of spider webs. It recognized self-reliance and highlighted unconventional relationships like cohabitation. This era is the flag bearer of personal autonomy, choice and freedom. This change resonates with today’s teens more than previous generations, making them content with their single life. Teens are more sensitive to the influences around them, which changes their view of relationships. Even current teens show less readiness for relationships. This satisfaction, possibly due to traditional worldview, was absent during adolescence in previous generations.
Young, happy and free
Unmarried teens are happier with their lives. 75% of the teen respondents in a German study were unmarried and felt satisfied. Singles low in neuroticism (less reactive to stress, emotionally stable and even-tempered) are more satisfied with their lives. They are secure and feel less obligated to be in a relationship. These individuals do not suffer from FOMO and are confident in being single. Singles with high neuroticism (inability to cope, poor stress management) feel agitated about their single status and become insecure and insecure, which directly impacts their life satisfaction. Women are more satisfied than men when it comes to adult singlehood, which is a marked difference from previous generations. This is indicative of socio-cultural changes in the dynamics of gender roles over the years.
Singlehood is a journey of self-discovery unlike any other. It’s not a lonely house full of cobwebs as everyone makes it out to be, it’s a house with a secret garden waiting to be stumbled upon. Enjoy your youth and your life.
Also read: Small steps towards a gender-equal world
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