Do Relationships In The UK Become Too Serious Too Fast?

April 10, 2012
By: Ashleigh Wight

So you’ve met that special someone. He’s everything you’ve ever wanted, you get along so well and you think you’re perfect together. But how do you decide when it’s the right time to move in together, buy a house or a flat, or get married? In a society where we can now get whatever we want in an instant, are we so desperate to get that instant happy ending?

It seems that people in the UK are taking their relationship to the next level at a very young age. Couples are meeting, moving in together and getting engaged within such a short period of time- and much younger than ever before.

According to Yahoo, 60 per cent of people that marry between the age of 20-25 end up getting a divorce. Additionally, research undertaken by the Office of National Statistics revealed that the divorce rate among 25-29 year olds in 2009 was twice the national average across all age groups (Source). In 2010, some more worrying figures emerged from the same research group, revealing that nearly 120,000 people divorced in 2010, an increase on the previous years figures (Source).

Do these figures suggest that young marriages are doomed? Should couples take more time to think about whether they have enough in common and can live together in a close environment before they jump into a legally-binding and very serious stage of life?

For some, it seems like the easy option. You move into a place together to share the cost of rent, bills, and food costs, and then the next step is to get married and have children. But it is important to remember the serious side to a marriage- there are finances to consider, careers to pursue, or maybe you are thinking about having children. But do you really want these things in your early twenties?

It’s an age where most people tend to explore the world around them by going travelling, whilst not being tied down to family life. It’s also a time when many people like to be independent after emerging from their family home or a student house. Can you really get that same sense of independence if you are sharing chores and responsibilities with your partner in a closed environment?

Marriage is about commitment and it’s a deal that is supposed to last forever. I believe that you need to gain some independent life experience in your early twenties so you can appreciate being able to settle down with the person you love and move into a more mature stage of life when you’re older. It can be tempting to take your relationship to the next level when the people around you are settling down and getting engaged, showing off that expensive engagement ring and getting excited over plans for the big day- but in your early twenties you have a good number of years ahead of you. Put your serious relationship plans on hold and take time to enjoy your youth while you have it. Statistically, your marriage will most likely last longer.

Images: elitedresses.com, tiptoptens.com

Sources: www.telegraph.co.uk, www.guardian.co.uk, shine.yahoo.com