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Lucy, can I ask you something?

Sure. What's on your mind?

Yesterday I was talking to a friend. He's 29, has a stable job, he's in a healthy relationship, but then he said something that completely caught me off guard.

What did he say?

He looked at me and said, "I don't think I'll ever get married."

Wow. Did he just go through a bad breakup or something?

That's exactly what I asked, but he said, "No, I still believe in love. I just don't believe marriage is for me anymore."

That's interesting because I'm hearing that more and more these days.

Same here. And it got me thinking, is this just one person's opinion, or is something much bigger happening?

That's exactly what we're exploring today.

Why are so many people in Gen Z choosing to avoid marriage? Is it fear, money, changing values, or is marriage itself changing?

Let's find out. You know, if this were just your friend, I'd probably say he's an exception.

That's what I thought, too. But then I started noticing the same conversation everywhere, on podcasts, in interviews, even on social media.

I've noticed it, too. It feels like more and more people in their 20s are saying, "I want love, but I'm not sure about marriage."

Exactly. And that's what surprised me. They're not saying they never want a relationship. They're questioning marriage itself.

So naturally, I started wondering, is this just something people talk about online, or is there actually a bigger shift happening? It turns out there is. Across many countries, people are getting married later than previous generations, and in some places, fewer people are getting married at all.

That's a huge cultural shift. For a long time, getting married was seen as the next step in life. You finished school, found a job, got married, and eventually started a family.

Now that timeline doesn't seem as automatic anymore.

Exactly. Today, many young adults are focusing on building a career, improving their mental health, traveling, or simply figuring out who they are before making a lifelong commitment.

And here's something important. This doesn't necessarily mean Gen Z has stopped believing in love.

Right.

In fact, many of them still want deep, meaningful relationships. They're just asking a different question.

Instead of asking, "When should I get married?" they're asking, "Does marriage actually make sense for the life I want?"

And honestly, that's a very different conversation.

It is. So, if people still believe in love, why are so many of them hesitating when it comes to marriage?

You know what I find fascinating?

What?

If we had this conversation 30 or 40 years ago, it probably wouldn't even exist.

You're right. Back then, marriage wasn't something most people questioned. It was simply part of growing up.

Almost like an unwritten life plan.

Exactly. You finished school, found a job, got married, started a family, and that was considered a successful life.

But somewhere along the way, that script started to change.

It did, and I don't think one single event caused it. The world itself became very different.

Different how?

Well, think about it. Careers aren't as predictable anymore. People move more often. Technology changed how we meet, how we communicate, and even how we think about relationships.

So, Gen Z didn't just inherit a different dating culture.

They inherited a completely different world.