Marriage isn't for everybody.
Many young adults find themselves considering other options, be it to wait for that stroll down the aisle or skipping it all together.
The average age for a first marriage is 26 for women and 28 for men, according to an article in today's Chicago Sun-Times. The story, likewise, says that federal statistics for 2008 report 7.1 marriages per 1,000 Americans, down from 10 per 1,000 in 1986.
So, the federal government is funding a $5 million national media campaign that touts the virtues of marriage for 18- to 30-year-olds. The campaign will include online and magazine ads, radio spots, videos on YouTube and a new Web site, TwoOfUs.org.
Not everyone agrees that this is money well-spent, but the government wants Americans to be fully aware of the benefits of marriage; better health, greater wealth, more happiness and improved well-being for kids.
Asked for their opinons of the plan, random people on the street shared a variety of responses with the Sun-Times.
A 22-year-old woman from Rogers Park, Carlithea Humphrey said, "I think it will motivate younger people."
Another woman, 27-year-old Casey Layer, said that she thinks the government is realizing "that there is a problem in the country with single parents and lower income."
But 19-year-old Jamaica King said that she thinks marriage is the last thing on a lot of people's minds.
Maybe that's the point the government is trying to make.
