Millennials: The non-committal generation | Cover Story

Millennials is becoming a term heard frequently in everyday conversations and usually is followed by a negative judgement. It's not uncommon to hear words like "lazy", "selfish", or "aimless" following.

Previous generations are questioning why Millennials aren't settling down like they did. To some, this generation appears to be carefree.

The group of people in this category are all those born between 1981 and 1995, making Millennials the largest generation. With all those negative connotations attached, one might think this group to be unintelligent but in fact, they are also the most educated generation in history.

According to the Pew Research Center, 49 percent of Millennials favor gun control, 56 percent say abortion should be legal in most cases, 69 percent say use of marijuana should be made legal and 68 percent favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry. These results show that views of this generation on various topics are quite different than that of previous generations.

The idea that Millennials are lazy fumes from several factors. One of those factors, which makes this group seems unsettled to some, is the way they are waiting longer to marry, settle down and start a family, if they chose to do so at all.

"I think Millennials aren't settling down as soon as previous generations due to the fact that the education system has become such a mandatory requirement in life and most people are in school during the first four to eight years of their 20s," said Kelsey Dean, 28, Myrtle Beach. "So, they aren't looking for love or to settle down and start a family until almost ten years later than our parents and grandparents did."

With jobs requiring higher education each and every year, Millennials may feel it is more important to get the highest education possible before working on other factors.

"People are living much longer and settling down at 21 to procreate by the age of 24 is no longer necessary,” said Lindsay Mozingo, 28, Boynton Beach, Fla. "The 20s are now what used to be the teenage years for Baby Boomers."

Along with that increase on the need for higher education comes an increase in student loan debt. This too weighs heavy on the minds of Millennials when looking ahead.

"I know some friends of mine won't ever (get married) until student loans are paid off or until the bills are less,” said Mozingo. "We are a generation with the highest student loans to date, so it makes sense to get those paid off before tying the knot."

Marriage isn't the only thing being put on hold, Millennials are having children at an average age of 30 with 47 percent of births in this generation being non-marital.

The average college debt is around $33,000 and according to the US Census Data, 40% of unemployed workers are Millennials. With the cost of living continually going up, trying to raise a family with a large amount of debt seems like a battle some may be worrisome of.

This generation also has the highest levels of anxiety, stress and depression than any other generation at the same age. Along with the debt, the increasing cost of living and the necessity of education, Millennials are also dealing with the pressures from older generations to settle down as they did.

"I think Millennials aren't getting married as often due to the high divorce rate seen amongst our parent's generation,” said Dean. "So, there's more hesitation than ever."

Divorce rates in the United States are upwards of 40 percent. With that statistic, Millennials are dating more people and taking longer before making a commitment.

"I also have friends who think the idea of marriage itself is senseless,” said Mozingo. "And with the divorce rate so high, they would rather stay dating instead of getting married.

With some Millennials putting marriage on hold, most are still looking for that special someone. With today's world being much more digital than previously, changes in the ways we date have also made an impact.

"We are in a digital age and most people these days are meeting via apps and dating sites rather than through friends,” said Mozingo, who has had four friends, just this year, get married to someone they met online. "However, to get to that one person you click with, you have to go through lots of duds and failed dates."

Mozingo met her now fiance on the fourth dating site she tried. They then dated for a year before getting engaged. With so many people using dating sites, it seems that it could take quiet a while to find a real connection.

Another factor to Millennial's decisions is the cost of living. With the unemployment rates so high in this generation, costs are important factor.

"Millennials are opting to live with roommates longer than previous generations mainly because of the increased cost of living over the years,” said Dean. "It's the only way to be financially secure by having multiple people contribute to rent."

While it may seem like Millennials aren't looking ahead or worried about their futures, it seems many in this group are trying to make a better future for themselves than what they've seen from previous generations.

Taking their time to make serious decisions and enjoying some adventure along the way may be productive in the long run. Only time will tell.

"I think these decisions are based mainly on freedom, as we do have the opportunity, especially as women, to contribute to society more than ever." Says Dean. "So, we are taking our time to make sure we succeed in doing so."

This story was originally published July 19, 2016 at 1:49 PM with the headline "Millennials: The non-committal generation | Cover Story."