It seems as if, in every article I’ve read about the rising ages for childbirth and marriage, higher education (as well as career goals) among women was cited as the probable reason. In reading SkySlash’s sappy (but cute) posts about his new girlfriend I wonder if maybe loosening sexual morals and the advent of the pill have more to do with it.
It seems like people used to get married after really short courtships, I know my grandparents did. Nowadays, people have years-long courtships. I assume that if I had witheld sex, Mr Duhnym would have either married me in the first three months or bailed long ago.
Premarital sex now is commonplace and children out of wedlock no longer hold the stigma they used to, I suppose. Was premarital sex really a stigma back in my Grandparents’ day or was it done and just not spoken of?
And most importantly, how long do you think it will be before SkySlash pops the question?
Dammit Sue. If yer gonna post a thread with a title like that and NOT include any more details about your freaky, hanging from the light fixtures, slathered in peanut oil with more leather than a shoe factory sex life…awww forget it…
I’m sure premarital sex was plenty common in my grandparents day, but certainly not talked about as much and certainly not as prevalent as it is today. And there was definitely a stigma attached to it, especially if you were shipped off to the home for unwed mothers.
Of course, I can’t imagine my grandparents participating, an attitude which carried down to my parents, who I can guarantee waited until they were married.
My wife and I dated for three months before I got lucky (Boom! Right there in the hallway. Caught me by surprise!) I suppose for couples who wait, if you don’t bail out, then there’s a greater chance for longterm commitment.
It will be interesting to see how this trend develops in the coming years. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that when my daughter is older, premarital sex will be just as common.
Of course, she won’t be allowed to date until shes 30 :).
I think Playboy once did an article that we would be having sex in infancy around 2010 or something. They talked about how we were having sex earlier & then just graphed it to find what year we would be doing it in infancy.
I think the mass media has alot to answer for. Younger people are bombarded with imagary of being in love representing happiness and The Answer. Then going through the hormone rollercoaster during ‘those’ years we experience feelings never felt before, and because they’re good often jump to the quick conclusion that this must be love (and we can apply this in both sexual and non-sexual ways). Reinforced by the still constant media of movies, books, soaps etc. of course.
Of course they’re quick - they want happiness. Some want to grow up. Some just want. Others don’t know what they want but know marriage/relationships will give it to 'em.
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