2025
Decades-long trend reverses for children with married parents
More children are growing up with married parents than they were ten years ago. For many, this news comes as a surprise. Between 1970 and 2012, the share of children growing up with married parents fell dramatically from 85% to 64%. This has led many to think that marriage is on its way out for good. But the story has since changed. Between 2012 and 2024, the share of kids living with married parents rose two percentage points from 64% to 66%. Although this small increase pales in comparison to the multi-decade decline that preceded it, it signifies a key reversal in the fortunes of American families. For kids, at least, family is trending up.
Gen Z is not interested in AI romance
Gen Z, a generation of digital natives, has a tech-skeptic bent to it. This is especially true when it comes to AI chatbots. A 2024 IFS survey found that three-quarters of Gen Z adults were opposed to or uncomfortable with AI romantic companions; a fifth reported having mixed feelings or were unsure; and just 7% said they were open. It comes as no surprise that young Americans generally support regulating the companies that push for AI romance. Gen Z may be a first adopter of this burgeoning technology, but it doubles as a staunch critic.
Sexual history correlates with marital happiness
What’s the ideal number of lifetime sexual partners? Conventional wisdom tells young adults that sexual experience is necessary for a happy marriage. But the data tells a different story. It turns out that those who have fewer sexual partners prior to marriage tend to have happier marriages. Married men and women report the highest levels of marital satisfaction when they’ve only had one sexual partner in their lifetime: their spouse. As the number of partners increases, the odds of being “very happy” in marriage, on average, decreases. And as research from the Wheatley Institute shows, this holds true whether previous partners were from casual hookups or serious relationships. Other research suggests that divorce risk rises with the number of premarital sexual partners. When it comes to marital happiness, one partner is the ideal number.
