A recent study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin has shed light on an intriguing trend among adolescents and young adults. It finds that those aged 14 to 20 today are more satisfied with being single than their counterparts were a decade ago. Adolescents born between 2001 and 2003 not only show a higher tendency to be single but also exhibit greater contentment with their single status compared to those born ten years earlier.
The study was motivated by noticeable societal trends: declining marriage rates, rising divorce rates, and an increasing number of single-person households. These shifts raise the question of whether modern singles experience higher satisfaction with their single status than previous generations. By understanding these trends, researchers hope to provide insights into how societal changes influence individual well-being and relationship dynamics.
“Compared to our grandparents’ generation, people today marry less frequently and experience higher divorce rates,” said study author Tita Gonzalez Avilés from the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. “At the same time, more diverse forms of relationships, such as unmarried relationships, cohabitation, and extended singlehood, have become more accepted. While singlehood seems more socially acceptable, it is unclear if singles indeed feel more satisfied.”
The researchers used data from a large longitudinal study, the Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (pairfam), which included participants from four birth cohorts: 1971-1973, 1981-1983, 1991-1993, and 2001-2003. Data were collected between 2008-2011 and 2018-2021. The study focused on participants aged 14-40 who were single throughout the study period.
Participants provided information on their relationship status and satisfaction with their singlehood and overall life. Satisfaction with singlehood was measured using a single question: “How satisfied are you with your situation as a single?” on a scale from 0 (very dissatisfied) to 10 (very satisfied). Life satisfaction was measured similarly, asking participants to rate their overall life satisfaction.
The researchers also considered individual factors such as age, gender, and personality traits, specifically extraversion and neuroticism, to understand their impact on singles’ satisfaction. Extraversion refers to being outgoing and socially active, while neuroticism involves tendencies towards anxiety and worry.
The researchers found that the later-born cohort (2001-2003) had a higher proportion of singles (47%) compared to the earlier-born cohort (1991-1993) with 42% singles. Adolescents in the later-born cohort were more satisfied with their singlehood than those in the earlier-born cohort, indicating a positive shift in singlehood satisfaction over time.
Adolescents born in 2001-2003 reported a 3% higher chance of being single compared to those born a decade earlier. This increase in singlehood was associated with greater satisfaction with being single. Interestingly, this trend was specific to singlehood satisfaction, as there was no significant change in overall life satisfaction among the cohorts.
“Singlehood is changing over time — especially so for adolescents,” Gonzalez Avilés told PsyPost. “Adolescents nowadays are not only more often single than ten years ago but also more satisfied with being single.”
The researchers did not observe significant historical changes in singlehood satisfaction among emerging adults (24-30 years) and established adults (34-40 years). This stability suggests that the factors influencing singlehood satisfaction in these age groups are less affected by sociohistorical changes compared to adolescents.
“It was surprising that we did not find any changes for adults,” Gonzalez Avilés said. “Adolescents might encounter a broader spectrum of relationship forms than adults due to interactions with diverse peers at school and extensive engagement with social media, making singlehood more normative and acceptable for them. Changes in the single life of adults may be slower and become apparent only over longer periods.”
While the study found notable differences in singlehood satisfaction between different cohorts, the effect sizes of these historical changes were small. This means that the differences in satisfaction levels between adolescents born in 2001-2003 and those born ten years earlier, while statistically significant, were not large. Instead, individual factors such as age and personality traits, particularly neuroticism, were stronger predictors of singles’ satisfaction.
Satisfaction with singlehood decreased with age. Adolescents were the most satisfied with being single, while emerging adults and established adults reported lower satisfaction levels.
Higher levels of neuroticism were associated with lower satisfaction with both singlehood and overall life. Extraversion was positively related to life satisfaction but did not significantly impact singlehood satisfaction.
While the study provides valuable insights, it has some limitations. The study focused on a specific age range (14-40 years) and a single cultural context (Germany). Singlehood experiences may vary significantly in different cultural settings, especially in countries with more traditional views on marriage and family.
Future research could explore the long-term impacts of sociohistorical changes on singlehood satisfaction across different cultural contexts. Additionally, examining other individual factors, such as voluntary versus involuntary singlehood and attitudes towards marriage and family, can help understand the complexities of singlehood satisfaction.
“I am interested in sociocultural factors influencing singlehood,” Gonzalez Avilés explained. “Thus, I aim to investigate how historical time, regional contexts, and societal attitudes shape the well-being of singles.”
The study, “Today’s Adolescents Are More Satisfied With Being Single: Findings From a German Cohort-Sequential Study Among 14- to 40-Year-Olds,” was authored by Tita Gonzalez Avilés, Janina Larissa Bühler, Naemi D. Brandt, and Franz J. Neyer.
