Culture is changing and much seems to be reverting back to the way it was before Socialism. Before the 1930s, there was typically a large age difference between couples. The boy had to become a man and then approach the father to ask for his daughter’s hand. He would have to demonstrate that he was capable of taking care of her. After Socialism when the government replaced old family traditions, the age differential collapsed. The common complaint girls have today is that boys in their 20s are immature. In Japan, this has manifested into what is called the “celibacy syndrome” where girls are not interested even in dating no less marriage. Now about 60% of eligible girls are not interested in dating. The high unemployment among the youth, in Europe especially, also has driven younger women to now seek older men for husbands who are (1) mature and not addicted to video games, and (2) have the means to support a family.
Other studies are uncovering interesting facts about age differences. Men ‘live longer’ if they marry a younger woman. Perhaps the natural balance was the way things were before Socialism. The boy had to first become a man before he was ready for a wife. What many girls complain about boys lacking maturity is often expressed that they are raised being told they can be independent whereas boys are raised these days telling them to have fun for there is plenty of time to settle down. It may be possible that girls are being prepared for life faster than boys in addition to the biological clock.
Just maybe, Socialism has disrupted a lot more than people think. Couples used to have several children for their retirement was the family unit. When Socialism came into play, family size reduced dropping from an average of nearly 5 to 2.5. In 1790, having more than 5 children accounted for 35.8% which is now only 1% of households. Children, who once saved to take care of their parents in old age, are no longer responsible. Government social programs take care of that. In the USA, it is Social Security which replaced the family structure. Socialism may have changed a lot more than saving to take care of the parents in old age. Altering the age differential of couples may also have profoundly changed our social structure and girls are naturally now either not interested in marriage or are looking for older men. The future of society may be starkly different than people suspect.
