The Slow Death of Marriage

Two out of five people believe the institution of marriage is becoming obsolete, reveals a loooong but fascinating new study by the Pew Research Center (in 1978 it was more like one in four). Accordingly, we’re getting married later and less frequently — in 1960, 68% of all twenty-somethings were married, while only 28% were in 2008 (and in 1960 72% of the general public was married, while in 2008 it was just 52%). But then also, modern families are crazy and jumbled and new and fractured, because of all the divorce and remarriage, and because of how baby boomers can’t keep their shit together, and also all the step-people and half-children, and who will be at YOUR Thanksgiving table, etc. etc. aren’t these exciting times we live in?

(“But what about weddings?” some people might whisper, panicked, to themselves.)