Cohabitation and Couples

The Negative Effects of Cohabitation Keeping with American tradition, the American dream can be defined as finding your one true love, moving into a big house with a white picket fence, a big yard, kids, pets, and all that jazz that accompanies. Before a couple can move forward to fulfilling the, “American dream,” they need to test the waters with their partner. Today this is known as cohabitation, or moving in with one another before marriage. Today, there are 7.5 million couples that are currently participating in a cohabitating arrangement. According to Meg Jay, a clinical Psychologist, that number has increased exponentially from its 1960 mark of 450,000 couples that cohabit with one another. In her article, “The Downside of Cohabiting Before Marriage,” Jay writes several reasons as to why more couples are willing to move in with one another before marriage. “This Shift has been attributed to the sexual revolution and the availability of birth control, and in our current economy, sharing the bills makes cohabiting appealing,” (Jay). Couples cohabit with one another to gauge if they are truly capable of living with one another for the rest of their lives. However, contrary to what meets the eye, initially, cohabitation actually creates an adverse effect to its intended purpose. Cohabitation leads many prospecting couples and actual cohabiting families down a long, dark road of unhappiness and heartbreak. A Nationwide study conducted by The National Marriage Project, in 2001, found that almost fifty-percent of adults in their twenties, would not marry someone unless if he or she moved in together first (Jay). Jay writes, “About two-thirds said they believed that moving in together before marriage was a good way to avoid divorce.” This idea of taking your partner on a, “test-drive,” to prevent negative situations down the road, is wrong. “Couples who cohabit before marriage (and especially before an engagement or an otherwise clear commitment) tend to be

Cited: Jay, Meg. "The Downside of Cohabitation Before Marriage." New York Times 14 Apr. 2012: n. pag. Http://www.NYtimes.com. The New York Times, 14 Apr. 2012. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. . Wilcox, W. Bradford. "A Shaky Foundation for Families." NYtimes.com. The New York Times, 30 Aug. 2011. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. .