With the rapid development of society, young people's views on marriage and fertility have undergone major changes. In the past, marriage and childbirth were seen as a compulsory subject in everyone's life, but now young people pay more attention to personal development and self-actualization, and have different attitudes towards marriage and childbearing.
According to the latest statistics, the marriage rate on the mainland continues to decline. In 2022, the number of early marriages hit a 37-year low, and the number of marriages fell to 49.3%. This phenomenon shows that more and more young people are reluctant to rush into the palace of marriage, and many people choose to become "unmarried".
In a recent survey of post-00s college students in major universities in Beijing, young people have expressed their unique views on marriage and fertility. Among them, a woman from Beijing Institute of Technology described herself as a "non-marital" and believed that marriage would affect women's career development. At the same time, she also believes that the poor will bring a lot of difficulties to the future of the child, so she is determined not to have children.
The girl's views have sparked widespread controversy, with some agreeing with her that the cost of raising children is high now, and that if there are no conditions to provide children with a good education and growth environment, they should not blindly give birth. They believe that the future of their children is something for parents to worry about, and that if they do not provide enough resources, they are likely to be eliminated in this competitive society.
However, there are also those who disagree with the girl's views. They see this perception as a lack of responsibility and contempt for the poor. They emphasize that everyone has their own choices and lifestyles, and that the existence of different points of view should be respected and understood, rather than trying to persuade others to change their minds.
So why do young people have different attitudes towards marriage and childbearing? First of all, young people's lives are increasingly stressful, and there is a lack of cost and time for personal socialization. They struggle hard in a competitive society, and are too busy with work every day to worry about marriage and childbearing. Once married and have children, personal time will be quickly compressed, making many people prohibitive.
Secondly, the cost of raising children is getting higher and higher. Nowadays, raising a child requires a huge financial investment, and from the moment the child is born, money flows continuously. For young people, who are already under great financial pressure, raising children has become a big burden.
Third, the status of women has risen, and more and more women have become independent and pursue self-actualization. Compared with the past, modern women have gained a higher status and voice in society, they pursue their careers and interests, and marriage and childbearing are not their only life goals. They pay more attention to their personal growth and development, so delaying marriage and childbearing has become their choice.
In the face of this change in young people's views on marriage and fertility, society is also facing a series of challenges. First, the declining birthrate is a growing problem, and low fertility rates have a negative impact on social and economic development. All sectors of society need to think about how to provide better support and conditions to encourage young people to enter marriage and childbearing.
Second, family education and marriage counseling need to be strengthened to help young couples better cope with the challenges and difficulties in married life. At the same time, society should also provide a more flexible and friendly working environment so that young people can better balance work and family.
Finally, traditional notions of marriage and family models also need to evolve. Different forms of marriage and family models should be respected and tolerated so that everyone can build happy families in their own unique way.
In general, there has been a major shift in young people's views on marriage and childbearing, and they pay more attention to personal development and self-realization. However, this also brings a series of challenges to the society, which require the joint efforts of the whole society to cope with and solve.