Millennials and Divorce

Millennials, those born between 1980 and the late 1990s, are doing things differently than previous generations, and that includes marriage.

Millennials are getting married less, and when they do marry, they marry later than their parents’ generation, are usually educated beyond high school, and have their careers and finances on the right track. Basically, they’re stable and have a vision of their future that previous generations didn’t usually have when they got married. Not surprisingly, millennials are more likely to have prenuptial agreements.

Because millennials who marry are usually older and financially better off than Baby Boomers were when they married, they can be more selective. Apparently, they are getting it right the first time because according to the evidence, millennials are divorcing less than older generations. In fact, couples who are 55+ and seniors are divorcing at an alarming rate, while millennials seem to be happier in the married state.

Technology, of course, is a major player in the lives of millennials and may be part of their marital success. Thirty percent of millennial marriages began with an online dating service. These couples report higher marital satisfaction and are less likely to divorce than couples that did not use an online service. This could be because of the extensive questionnaires that people answer before the service suggests possible matches.

However, technology can have a downside for those millennials who do end up divorced. Since this generation has put so much of its life on social media, hundreds or even thousands of people know what is happening in each person’s life. People tend to cull what they display on social media, putting their best face forward and sharing only their best pictures. So when a couple breaks up, those old pictures can be haunting. And it can be painful to have to tell your hundreds of followers that your marriage has ended.

The fact is, since fewer millennials marry and fewer married millennials divorce, those who do divorce find themselves alone. Even if friends have the best intentions, they usually don’t understand and can’t provide the support the young divorced person needs.

So while there is good news in the drop in the divorce rate among millennials, this group has different challenges than previous generations had. Finding help and support from people who know the particular problems of millennials will make it easier for younger people to get through this difficult time.