Marriage makes you wealthier and happier. Gen Z looked at this data and said no thanks.
This ranks somewhere between turning down a free ATM and setting your own credit score on fire. The generation that defines the American Dream as financial stability and happiness found the exact vehicle to both destinations. They walked past it.
The math here is airtight. Married couples split rent. They file jointly. They share a Netflix password without the existential dread. Two incomes beat one income in every scenario except polygamy, and even then the tax benefits get murky.
But Gen Z wants happiness and wealth without the paperwork. They want the American Dream on their terms, which apparently means alone in a studio apartment wondering why their savings account looks like a rounding error.
You know what else makes you wealthier? Not buying eight different streaming services because you can't agree on one with another human. Not paying full price for car insurance. Not splitting a two-bedroom rent with a stranger named Kyle who definitely stole your yogurt.
The research shows married people accumulate more assets. They report higher life satisfaction. They have built-in emotional support that doesn't charge $200 per session. Gen Z reviewed these findings and chose financial instability with a side of isolation instead.
This is the same demographic that complains housing is unaffordable while actively rejecting the one legal arrangement that makes housing mathematically easier. They want stability without commitment. Wealth without partnership. Happiness without another person's dirty dishes in the sink.
Every single Gen Z member scrolling through personal finance advice on TikTok could improve their net worth by 40% just by saying I do. They won't. They'll keep eating ramen alone, wondering why previous generations had it easier, completely unaware that Grandma's secret was marrying someone who also hated their landlord.
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