Is Cohabitation or Live-in Relationship Pervasive Through the Digital World?

Living in relationships or cohabitation is not a new norm these days. But over the years since technology has made its way to the next level in terms of cell phones and the internet, cohabitation is pervasive, especially among people in their late teens or their twenties. The norm of approaching someone to have live in relationship has become a hundred times easier than ever before.

Social messaging apps, dating apps, cellular networks of smartphones, and other digital devices connected to the internet these days are grooming even tweens these days to have someone in a relationship in the digital world.

So, cohabitation or live in relationships is on the rise in modern society, and youngsters are at the top of choosing these sorts of relationships with the use of the digital world. Therefore, shifting gender roles high expectations, and delay in getting married culture are leading people to have a firm belief in moving together before tying the knot.

Most American adults think live in relation is a good idea before tying the knot. Almost two-thirds of adults (65%) strongly endorse cohabitation as a good idea before getting married, as compared to 35% that oppose this school of thought

Michigan News reports say that there are three major reasons to have a live in relationship or to cohabit: want to spend more time with the partner, to share financial burdens, and to know about the real compatibility before getting married. However, these days young teens are using the virtual world to approach someone online and then meet them into real–life to cohabit or get involved in live in relationship to seek sexual needs.

Why Does a Female want to have live in relationship

Today, females among young teens say “Love” as a genuine reason to live together three times more than men do.

Why do Males want to cohabit?

They cited “sex” as the major reason to live together four times more than a female did

Males and females both think of having live in relationship as a temporary relationship to know about the compatibility, but the real difference comes when underlying goals of living together. Moreover, since the technology comes forward in terms of instant messaging apps and dating apps like Tinder both males and females want to have blind dates to fulfill sexual motives rather than to check compatibility. It means stalking among teens and young adults is on the rise no matter if they just label it as cohabitation or live in a relationship.

According to the PEW Research Center

• US adults cohabiting with a partner is on the rise & with 10% of American adults cohabiting in 2022
• American adults living with an unmarried partner reached about 22 million
• Young adults in live in relationships were 70% in 2022
• Half of the adults in live in relationships are less than the age of 35
• Cohabiting is on the rise with sheer pace among 50 and older
• Generation Zers, millennials, Generation Xers, and Baby Boomers believe in live in relationship
• 48% oppose live in relationships
• Social media apps and the internet are the biggest reasons behind blind dating and living relationships

70% of adults in live in relationships use the internet in U.S. and use social media platforms including Facebook. 75% of them claim to log in regularly several times. Some say, with the use of Facebook they have met with their partner

According to the report released by the National Marriage Project, the live-in relationship is the major threat to American kids and teens because it eclipsing divorce and single motherhood. It is more than just an issue for the low–income families that are more likely to have unmarried parents, according to the study’s authors, led by the University of Virginia’s Brad Wilcox. The author further stated that kids are being exposed to cohabitation such as tweens and teens that have access to social media.

So, ultimately, when they have an example of their cohobated parents they are more likely to adopt live–in relationships using dating apps, social media, and internet using cell phone devices connected to the internet.

Moreover, young tweens and teens get started to have someone to be in live in a relationship that could be a stalker or sexual predator. Kids born from unmarried parents are usually safer with emotional problems, less involved and less loving fathers, risk of school failure, high risk of infant mortality, and less physical health compared to married parents.

Moreover, the ratio of single moms that need to work for the bread and butter won’t be able to do effective parenting. However, these days digital parenting has become a norm for single mothers and fathers to protect children from all kinds of dangers.

Cohabitation or live in relationship cannot be alternative to marriage, “the study says. Wilcox said at an event at the Institute of American Values where he discussed a study “Cohabitation and kids don’t mix

74% of Cohabiters compared to 56% who are married are more likely to have sexual intercourse before the age of 18. It means, teens whose parents had live-in relationships can harbor sexual fantasies and can also get involved in uncommitted sexual activities before becoming an adults.

Furthermore, Cohabiting females may lead to unwanted pregnancy which is 43.3 compared to married women that are 23.9%. These types of risk factors are already prevailing in the society.

On the other hand, such a huge impact on cohabiting young people may lead them towards sexting, rape, bullying online, stalking with the rise and the rise of cell phone technology and internet.

Those who believe in live in a relationship or Cohabiting and then deciding to get married report low average marital quality and are more like to end up with divorce. In addition, young generations being raised by unmarried parents are more likely to get closer to cyber threats than ever before and digital parenting has left the only solution.