Madelyn Pecka| Reporter
Intimacy and relationships are on the decline. In the past, love, relationships and connections were a focal point of society, whereas now, the center of society is self. Our society has become self oriented.
What’s causing the focus to shift? There are a number of reasons attributed to the decline in relationships and intimacy.
The most prominent contributing factor is that people are prioritizing themselves over relationships. The desire of forming relationships is not many people’s utmost concern because they are focused on their own lives. People are prioritizing health, school and work above relationships and intimacy.
From an early age, people are encouraged to focus on themselves and what is in their best interest. This attitude keeps throughout adolescence into adulthood. Young adults from the most recent generations are focused on self-betterment and their careers.
You have a drug problem? Take the time to go to rehab! You want to do service work? Join the Peace Corps! You have crippling depression? Focus on finding the right medicine, psychiatrist, and/or therapist! You have a bad financial situation? Work a couple jobs and save some money! You want to be the first person in your family to pursue higher education? Go to college!
There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t take the time to better your life before you better anybody else’s.
We are teaching the new generations of society to make change happen by starting with ourselves.
It is not necessarily a bad thing that people are straying away from traditional roots. People are taking time to figure themselves out before adding another person into the equation. Which makes our society self-oriented, not selfish.
We are witnessing evolution take place around us. Birth rates are down. However, that doesn’t mean that there will be a solely negative impact.
Out of the births we do have still, they will be a result of something positive: people who know who they are have planned out what they want. These stable people in healthy relationships will be more likely to have children when they are in a decent financial position.This could potentially mean a decrease in poverty levels.
Self-orientation is leading to stabilization. People will methodically form relationships after their priorities are accomplished. Hence, a healthier generation of families is coming to fruition.
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