Less likely to get married or have children – Coyote Student News at the College of Southern Nevada

By Lauren Sanchez

Gen Z includes those born between 1997 and 2012, so between the ages of 12 and 27.

Many in Generation Z choose not to marry or have children. They do it differently than previous generations for many reasons.

According to CSN’s 2020 student profile figures, approximately 70% of CSN’s students are considered part of this Gen Z generation.

The January 2024 Pew Research Center study titled “Parents, Young Adult Children, and the Transition to Adulthood” notes: “Today’s young adults are reaching important milestones later than young adults of their parents’ generation in their early aughts Ninety.’

The study added: “Young adults today are much more likely to obtain a college degree than their counterparts were 30 years ago. They are also more likely to have outstanding student loans. Young adults are more likely to be employed full-time now than young adults were in 1993. These increases have been driven by a higher share of women working full-time: 55% in 1993 versus 67% today, among those aged 25 to 34.”

“Today’s young adults are marrying much later than their parents’ generation,” according to PEW. “The gap in the percentage of married people is especially large among young adults aged 25 to 29: 29% were married in 2023, compared to 50% in 1993. Young adults are also delaying having children; for example, 27% of adults are growing older. In 2023, 30 to 34 people had a child in their household, compared to 60% in 1993.”

CSN professor of human behavior Flora Rudacille said: “It has become increasingly acceptable over the past two decades to delay marriage and parenthood. Gen-Z has a strong desire for mental health and wellness. Some believe it is selfish to bring children into such a messed up world.”

CSN professor Stephanie Fiorenza said, “People are starting to realize that raising a human being is an enormous amount of work. Having children while you are young makes it difficult to achieve your dreams and goals. Some people are independent and feel that they are not capable of doing so.”

CSN student Jovan Franco shared his thoughts: “Sooner or later I would like to get married and have children, but I understand why people born in Generation Z don’t do that. Many of them have a pessimistic view of the future, especially when it comes to issues of the economy, climate change and government. As such, many of them see no reason to place children in what they see as a doomed world.”