"Hook up Culture is a good way to Lose Yourself, Not find Yourself." 😅

Met my now husband at 18, got married at 22, now we are 27 and having our first baby together. We've always seen being married as a way to have even more fun. We've traveled the world together, went sky diving, bungee jumping, and hiked hundreds of miles in national parks, and went to numerous music festivals. We support each other in our careers and it has only helped us get farther. I strongly believe without his support I wouldn't have made it as far in my career as I have. Now I'm at the point where I can make my own hours and prioritize a family. Marriage has been nothing but positive. I would choose my husband and family over just a career any day and that's coming from someone who has their dream job. One of the best parts of my day is telling my husband the things I did and hearing his crazy stories from work. 😊

As a 30 year old guy when I was a teenager and in my early 20s I used to think that finding yourself meant going on a journey to a far away country, spending couple of months in Tibet, developing some artistic skills, educating yourself on philosophy, history, developing your own taste in all sort of media and art etc. since you probably won't have time for that once you're married and have kids. Sleeping with 100 people won't help you find yourself. At best you'll develop mental health and trust issues and maybe some unwanted diseases.

If somebody wants to get married young that's nobody else's business. If someone wants to stay single their whole lives, that's nobody else's business. As long as nobody's trying to marry a 9yo then it's nobody else's business!!

I'm 25 and married. I married at 22 years old but I had peers that tried to discourage me from getting married. They said "your 30s are for marriage. Your 20s are for fun. You need to date around more." Even my mom thought people should wait until at least 25 before marrying. I'd been with my now husband for four years before we got married and I knew he was the right person so it didn't make sense to me to wait and have less of my life spent with him. We're hoping to have a baby soon, but trying to conceive is a quite difficult process. Seeing my wonderful relationship with my husband has changed my mom's mind on getting married young. She no longer sees it as inherently a poor decision. She now believes that there is no proper age, just a proper person.

They're not mad because they actually believe she is too young. It's that she is marrying a man and isn't spending her early 20s going from guy to guy. A lot of them regret not doing something similar and are projecting their resentment and anger.

For me personally marriage is not a priority for me at the moment, but I don’t begrudge someone else getting married young. I think it depends on the person as to what age is the right age for you to get married.

Personally, as a man, the reason I'm avoiding marriage is simply because it doesn't really mean anything anymore other than I take on some very large potential risks with no real benefit. I think the idea of marriage is beautiful, but in a world where you can get divorced for something as small as the "spark" is gone, there doesn't really seem to be a point. Like it's not a REAL life-long commitment anymore.

I was turned off by the idea of marriage a long time ago. Not many marriage-type guys where I live and I’m not into online dating at all. A lot of guys here have high body counts, like to smoke weed and drink too much. Two of my friends are divorced and another was cheated on by her husband after 10 years of marriage and 3 kids. So yeah, I don’t mind being alone.

I was way too immature at 19! But if it works for Millie Bobby Brown, then good for her!! I became a mom at 37, and it was the right choice for me. I waited until I had a stable relationship, a good income and savings, and a good place to live. Finding a good relationship took me a very long time, and that's just one of many reasons why I'll never understand hook-up culture. If it took me that long, even though I always had the same goal, do people expect they're suddenly going to find the perfect partner for life when they finally decide it's time to settle?? 🤦‍♀️ Oh, and thank you for mentioning birth control!!! I wish more people would talk about it! Birth control made me think I might be asexual for many, many years! And it played a big role in ruining my relationships! I'm never ever going back to taking the pill ever again!! I'm a much happier person without it and feel more like myself.

My wife is one year older than Gen Z. (She is from 1996.) For us marriage was just a choice when we were expecting a baby. I could just acknowledge our child, or we could sign an official paper saying that we live together, or just get married. We preferred to get married; I don't want to call her "my partner". "My wife" sounds so much more real and doesn't rise weird questions.

It's really sad because I want marriage but I don't want to be with some crazy Gen-Z woman who prioritize needless politics above anything. I'd rather live alone than having to deal with headache for the rest of my life (or divorce for that matter).

Adoption is also extremely hard. There is so much red tape. Everyone talks about adoption as an option but depending where you live the laws and guidelines are almost impossible. If you’re in any kind of financial debt which most people in America are, that can disqualify you from having a family.

My only issue is: young women don't realize how often husbands grow to resent wives for aging, for gaining weight with pregnancy, for being financially dependent etc. They cheat, leaving their wives with no education, career prospects and having young children. This is why women are in the least better off having some kind of certification so they can work in the event a man does this to them.

For me being an 18 year old, I don't wanna prioritize marriage, I feel as though I'm bit too young for that, I wanna get my life together and in order before I think about having kids or marriage, besides I wanna mature more mentally. I currently don't have any partner that I love..I'm as single as a small atom😅 never once had a boyfriend either..for me building a relationship with someone can seem to be difficult..so maybe I'll get better eventually

I was not ready to settle down, I was 23 and I met my wife when she was 18, but we knew immediately that we were in love. We lived together for three years first, but then got married, and it is now going on 20 years that we have been happily together, with 2 adorable children. It’s much more important to stay with the right one than to spend your whole life looking.

I think part of the problem is that when you try to plan your future too much, you end up being too closed minded to opportunities that may come along. If you are dead set on getting married you may end up settling for an unsatisfactory or even worse abusive relationship merely because you planned to get married. On the flip side if you decide to stay single the love of your life could pass you by and you’d never know because you weren’t open to meeting them. I think people just need to relax a bit more and take life as it comes rather than making rigid plans.

Totally agree. I’m 27 and engaged and even my single older brothers (single in their late 30’s) were strongly discouraging me from getting married now. Everyone says I’m not sure, I don’t know him long enough, I should have marriage and kids later. But I’m in a happy and loving relationship and want to be with him forever. My roommates are mid 20s women into hookup culture and think people who get married earlier than 30 are dumb, uneducated, and wasting their youth. They are also on anti-depressants and have anxiety, hate men but want everything done for by them (constant attention and money from them) and are just bitter. They also discourage me from having kids and I’ve wanted to be a mother ever since I was a kid. It’s a dream of mine, but they don’t tell me to make informed decisions and prepare for it, they tell me NOT to have kids as if it’s an evil and dumb thing. Honestly it’s like love and marriage is diminishing and they say they’re happier while also constantly complaining and shaming us for our choices.

I'm 26 and not married yet. But i have a dream to be a good husband and a good father, just not ready yet at the moment. People can have their opinions but they act like being married and having kids are the most dangerous things ever happened in the world, those people need to look themselves into the mirror and realize how dangerous their behaviors are. They said they're the most acceptance community, but can't accept the normal people living in normal situation, just weird

Something people don't realize is that a healthy relationship with your spouse is the thing that makes you grow up. Your spouse should balance you out, inspire you, challenge you, care for you as you care for them. There are many sacrifices, but it is all worth it because you grow into a more balanced and full version of your adult self. I met my now husband freshman year at college at 17. Since then we have gotten married, started our own business, figured out how to fund a very enjoyable lifestyle, pretty soon adding another to our family:) We've learned many tough lessons along the way, including just how much work it can be to love. But we are so happy with how things are turning out. Thanks for covering this topic Misha!

I don't plan to ever get married or to have any sexual relationship with anyone, and i do get judgement for it. Now even people who choose to marry are being judged, you really can't win.

I'm only 16 but I want to get married so bad some day because I grew up in a broken home and I'd love to experience stability for once with someone I am commited and devoted to. That's one of my biggest goals to start a family too

I think marriage as a concept was fine until the government got involved

Me and my wife are high school sweethearts and we’re married at18 the week after graduation. We are both almost 30 now and very happy. I’m blessed with a wonderful spouse!!

the oldest gen z person is 26 and the youngest is 13, so it is not surprising that many gen z people are not ready for marriage

I’m 27, met my husband at 19 and married at 21. As long as you don’t blindly rush into things, marrying at a young age can be a great thing! In my marriage my husband and I gave each other space to be young, and have fun. We didn’t immediately pop out kids and start careers, but there’s nothing wrong with that either. We’ve traveled the country and grown so much together. I’m so grateful and it honestly makes me sad that i still don’t have friends who have gotten married yet. If you know you want to be married and have a family one day, I don’t think you can just keep putting it off and hoping it will magically work out one day. You need to have your heart open from a young age, and act responsible if you want to attract a responsible partner. I think part of why I met my husband is because although I wasn’t expecting to find a husband, I wasn’t sleeping around and I was seeking a serious partner who would love me. And it all worked out.

I'm writing an essay 'bout how social media and smartphones has affected the dating scene and acquaintanceships in general, and I'm really grateful for all the insight you had to share Misha. Learned a lot more too about stuff that were lesser apparent, particularly how less men are going to college and the truth that yes, "ethical non-monogamies" are becoming too normalized. Thank you so much.

Marriage is hard and having kids requires a lot of sacrifice. It doesn't mean it's not worth it. The amount of joy and pride you can take from building a family outweighs the sacrifice.

Normalize getting married at 18/19/20 if you know you want to get married. It's not wrong to get married young. It's simply not. Marriage doesn't get easier if you're older because life doesn't get easier if you're older, especially if you participate in "finding yourself" culture.

My parents got married when my mum was 21 and my dad was 20. It worked out really well and they have been married for 24 years. It all depends on the individual and their maturity level. Not everyone should get married young, but for some people it actually helps them and allows them to "find themself".

I think for some people, they don't need to be married and to create a new family to be happy and satisfied with life. While for others, a better choice would be to find a partner and to start a life together, supporting and loving each other.

Would like it if you also include the fact that male fertility drops by 50% from 30 - 35 as well. Men hit a wall but no one knows about that.

As a 25-year-old conservative, I will never ever have children. It wouldn't do any good to my mental health, and I hate children. But I crave marriage (someday), I really do want to have that person who is completely committed to me and wants me forever. But (shocker) there are 0 men that don't want children who are open to marriage. Which breaks my heart. Since when have people started getting married only for children, and not for love? Stupid generation.

Lovely video, but I couldn't help but notice the background. It's absolutely dreamy, loved the flowers.

I want marriage, its finding a woman whos genuinely worth the effort and time required to hold a stable relationship and marriage

I got married at 25 and got *a lot* of people saying not to, even at that age. Three kids and several years later, still happy and in love 🤷 best life decision i ever made.

Getting married and having my daughter is some of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. My husband is my best friend and I can’t imagine my life without him or my daughter in it. Unfortunately I think a lot of why especially young women don’t want to have families is do to the sacrifices you have it make at times to make things work. Also their are a lot of obstacles with things like childcare and that make it very unaffordable and unattractive to younger women.

When I was younger of course I wanted to get married.. But as I got older I watched multiple marriages fail, people get stuck in marriages, financial troubles, etc. I think what terrified me about marriage is that couples before it had the sweetest, most genuine long term relationships ever. But after the ceremony it all falls apart. I've been with my boyfriend for almost five years now and we've actually talked about it. I grew up in a conservative/religious family so marriage is basically pressured on me. Meanwhile his parents never married at all because they never really wanted to. Just living together with the promise of being monogamous, no ring needed. That's what we plan to do. Get a house together, promise to stay monogamous with eachother and live a simple life in love. I've been saving up for promise rings though. My father and mother both have three failed marriages under their belts and my older sister is getting divorced because her husband is abusive and always angry. She can't turn to my dad because he doesn't want her to divorce (he's basically projecting himself on her). Plus.. Most people want the wedding, rather than the marriage. I think I'm into the idea of a wedding more rather than what comes with it. Like how people are more interested in the process of baby making rather than its results. I want the white dress yeah, and the flowers, and of course the cake.. But not the rest of the work that comes with a wedding (and if you ask "why bot courthouse?" Cant do that. I would never hear the end of my dad guilt tripping me about not letting his little girl walk down the isle.) TL:DR- Reasons I don't want to get married:: parents have multiple failed marriages, I've seen genuinely happy relationships end after marriage, boyfriend and I are happy just the way we are, I'm more interested in the idea of a wedding rather than marriage itself.

Thanks, for bringing this topic and outdoor feels so calm❤

I totally agree with everything that you've said Misha. Especially the instant gratification bit. I always see gen z and sadly my generation who's in their 30's acting like they're still on their 20's are doing it more too, partying like it's going to be their lifestyle forever without any concrete plan for the future. My advice to all the Gen Z's and my generation in general is to stop using social media all the time. Focus on your growth and make lasting connections with people, growth and being mature means getting out of your comfort zone.

I got married three weeks ago! I’m 29 and would have liked to do it a little earlier, but alas, Covid and life events played out! Not blaming that, but it did put a bit of a spanner in the works I suppose. People have asked me if I feel any different after marriage, and I always respond with 100% yes! I didn’t think I would feel different, as many people say “Oh, marriage is just a piece of paper.” But I feel SO much closer to my husband and I feel so secure and more ‘prepared’ for life ahead. Best thing I’ve ever done 🙂

0:36 The problem here is that "finding yourself" not always means "getting drunk, having s-x and doing drugs". It could also be about travelling, learning languages, practicing in something you like. Whether you want to be in a relationship or not is your choice, and you should decide by yourself if it will be a burden for you.

Marriage is not an obligation for the world. It’s really sad to not have a significant other; but there are many mental issues I need to sort out before any commitment. Not to mention actually having a job and income.

You are one smart cookie- so glad there are still young people with your views

i only struggle with chores because i was abused by my parents and used as a house slave. when i can get past that , i love being a home maker. i got married at 19 and ive never been happier.

I'm 32 and as a teenager I remember a very unhelpful societal attitude toward what young women should aspire to. At the time, it was less anti-marriage and more about having it all. We were told it was always possible to have both a happy family and a successful career, and if anything was difficult about your life or relationship it's always 100% the man's fault. That kind of thinking did us all dirty. A good relationship is hard at times. It takes work, like anything else worth having. It's like we were told to expect everything to just balance itself out perfectly, and if we hit a snag we have to find someone new and start over. A minor disagreement with a boyfriend became grounds for breaking up. I know women my age who are shotgunning Tinder dates because they spent so long being told that a perfect relationship will magically happen, or that they shouldn't want to settle down in the first place. Marriage and kids aren't for everyone, and there are pros and cons to every path you can take. But the advice given to young people seems increasingly alarming and unrealistic to how people and relationships actually function.

Misha, thank you so much for speaking on this! Your channel is a breath of fresh air!

At 50, I have always believed women should do what they want; however, be honest with yourself. The desire to have kids never kicked in for me...I waited but 30 then 40 and no I never had it; I even questioned and waited but nothing it was just not there for me (this mystical timeclock with the desire to have a baby). If you do then perhaps for you prioritizing marriage is something for you and consider it. The issue I always had with the American Dream was it seemed a one size fits all...I even lived that life for over a decade. It is not for everyone, but we need to leave room for the many paths that women want to take...at least that is what I have always wanted for myself and I imagine most of us are the same.

I'm not prioritizing marriage right now since I'm still studying for a job in the future. I do want to marry, but I find it hard because of my upbringing of seeing very toxic and abusive marriages.

My husband and I got married at 23, basically right out of college. Now we have our first baby at 25. Wouldn’t want it any other way. 😊

Commenting for the algorithm. Love her channel 🖤

I am soon turning 18 this year and love to see people of my generation talking about trad values. As a conservative woman myself, I feel marriage and having kids is wonderful. As of now, I need to improve myself and get financially stable. I would marry someone probably in my mid 20s (24-25 maybe) !

People should take things at their own pace. It's not selfish to want kids/marriage and it's not selfish to not want kids/marriage. I would rather "die lonely", than raise a kid with resentment because I forced myself into thinking I needed to make such a sacrifice to be selfless. Some people know from a young age that they want to be a parent and what kind of family they want to create. The shaming from both sides is the ignorant refusal to understand that there is more than one way to be fulfilled in life.

Finding themselves. They’re so lost, and they have the nerve to tell someone else to find themselves.

I’ve been with my husband since I was 15 years old and he was 16 years old. We got married in 2015. We have 2 kids and a 3rd on the way. He has a great job now but I was there with him while he was building his career. We grew together and I love him now more than I did then. I fall in love with him over and over again. Unfortunately, our situation is a rarity. I would not trade my traditional life for anything. Best 14 years of my life. Falling in love and partnering with someone is looked down on. Even my own mother tried over and over to get me to leave him. She told me I’m too young to commit. I’m so glad I didn’t listen. ZERO regrets.

Both sides are too extreme. I agree with “let them cook”. If whatever normal thing is not your thing, then leave it be.

Near the end, Misha, you talk about how some people complain that their marriage made them miserable, their kids made them miserable, and then say that those were some of the greatest parts of their lives. I fall into that category. I am in the process of divorce (initiated by my wife, of course). Yeah, the marriage has been hard work. But the past 30 years, the two fantastic kids, all the great times, all the love and sharing of burdens and successes, has been worth it. My kids are the greatest things I have ever done! My relationship with my wife lasted 30 years. That's pretty good. Not great, and I am sad it came apart. But still, my kids and my wife are the most important things I have ever been involved with. Bar none.

You always make some great points. However I think you need to lay off the fertility fear mongering. I had my first baby at 35 and I'm considering trying to conceive again in the next couple of years. And although yes, fertility does decline, it does not decline the way you're describing it or the way the mainstream describes it. And I'm told this from my doctor and from several women I know whom have had babies up until the age of 48. My husband's grandmother had her last baby when she was 50. I'm not saying to actually wait until you're that old, but for someone like me who literally was not ready emotionally due to a previous child loss, to have another baby until then, being a slave to these fertility myths is only going to cause anxiety and rushed /possibly unwise decisions.

Getting married at 19 years old was normal at one time . My grandmother was 19 when she married my papa. 9 days ago d’ been 65th wedding anniversary if my grandmother was still alive. Miss u grandma 😢

I love the outdoor scenery it looks so peaceful 😌 Also I've never seen Stranger Things but I'm happy for her! If she believes she's ready I say go for it! I'm 21 and I'm not married or have a boyfriend at the moment but when it happens it happens but I'm still happy for anyone who knows when they're ready for that commitment 💕

Met husband at 13, engaged and moved in together at 19, married at 22, and still together at 30. No regrets. I have been able to focus on myself AND be in a healthy, happy relationship with him. You can do both without sacrificing the other.

Cool video, My relationship of 5 years ended a month ago. The love of my life decided to leave me, I really love her so much I can’t stop thinking about her, I’ve tried my very best to get her back in my life, but to no avail, I’m frustrated, I don’t see my life with anyone else. I’ve done my best to get rid of the thoughts of her, but I can’t, I don’t know why I’m saying this here, I really miss her and just can’t stop thinking about her

the view looks beautiful! oh and the flowers are also nice ig

I've seen and heard many of the students at my school expressing their desire to avoid having children. It's truly concerning.

I also think 19 is too young (I'm 19 and I'm a college student), but I don't think "finding yourself" should be drinking, drugs, and hooking up with tons of people. I'm extremely against that. To me, stuff like this shows a lack of self-respect and willingness to give themselves away to just anyone.

Your videos is the reason why I keep sane

My parents got married when they were 18-19. They are in their 60s now and still together and in love. They "found" themselves together, learning what and when they wanted and what they wanted to do.

Misha...you are refreshing!

I’m 28 in May and I’ve been adamant since I could speak that I’m never getting married or having children, BUT I also don’t care what others do if it’s what they want and what makes them happy. Live & let live.

Well said! My observation of this, as an outsider looking in. (I'm 45 and would be defined as an incel in name but not in ideology , style or hygiene) This culture is multi generational, an example, among women and men 18 to 50 in my area (South East US) few are married and hookup culture reigns supreme, the haggard morose looks on their faces is very telling, people are miserable. People are shamed for not going with the flow and due to said social pressure it has lead to self medicating AKA drug abuse which primes people to give in to the social pressure mentioned. People can't think for themselves ( the self medicating has a lot to do with that) and unfortunately they're spinning out of control without goals or plans for the future. It's a sad cycle of social destruction that gets worse every year.

I think most people don’t want to get married because their parents are either divorced or in unhappy marriages

Thank you for all you are doing

I'm Gen X and I'm not prioritizing marriage after watching my friends go through divorce court. Terrance Popp covers much of other reasons on his channel.

I found myself during the lockdowns. All the extra free time did was give me a moment to pause in my life and wonder what I value and think about the world. I listened to all view points and came to my own conclusions. You don’t need to hookup and or visit different countries to find yourself. All you need to do is listen to various points of views and think about what you value and believe

Really good video ! 🔥 The background is sick too ✨️

It is very encouraging to see young people like you bringing sanity in the virtual space

I do think that getting married young CAN be a bad decision, but not always. People marry the wrong person at my age and older too. My husband's parents were high school sweethearts and they've been married for like 35 years.

People when 18 year Olds create only fans: slay People when 19 year Olds get married: wtf??? A lot of Christians were hypocritical with marriage, claiming divorce is a sin, yet the bible says it's not lol you're allowed to divorce if your s/o abuses or cheats on you. Marriage is expensive but I don't think millie Bobby brown will have any issues with that 😭 Edit: bottom line is, while I agree with points in this video, people should ultimately get to choose when they get married. Young or old

I only just found your channel, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I had wondered for a long time if conservative women's channels even existed. I follow some of The Daily Wire guys, and a few American Virtue guys, whom I listen to at times. I have been worried that zoomer women aren't going to see the same conservative hope that us zoomer men are. Now I see that not only was I mistaken, but you clearly have more of a following than some of the popular guys I follow. Thank you for being the voice many need to hear Misha! God bless!

Your videography is getting pretty slick, keep it up! 👌

They preach love but don’t live it

we’re not prioritizing marriage because time and time again, we have seen it fail. this doesn’t even begin to cover how expensive it is to get in and get out of when shit hits the fan. i don’t know why this is so difficult to grasp, you don’t need to be married to live a meaningful, fulfilling life.

Many great points!!! ❤ Try to take a breath once in a while. 😂😂😂

Great new set!!!!

I’ve hated that over the past few years, marriage has been seen as something that’s “just a piece of paper” and it’s not important. I’m not judging people who don’t marry, but these people make you feel so bad and stupid if you want to marry. They make it seem like you’re old fashioned and lame.

As a guy marriage is scary because working so hard and then loosing almost everything plus child custody on a whim (no fault divorce) is insane. No one cares about alimony because it's mostly men paying. If the draconian family court negatively impacted women that's when people suddenly start caring.

The way every aspect of society is going downhill, the expected quality of life twenty years from now is a valid concern.

Off topic comment... Beautiful backdrop. I love spring!

Ooh, it's Cherry Blossom season. I can see they're in bloom. Very nice, I like 👍👍

Finding yourself doesn't always have to be through Marriage and finding yourself doesn't mean becoming a slut tho you could travel, you could find what makes you happy, and do it solo until you meet someone. Quickly engaging and marrying can oftentimes lead to divorce or resentment for each other.

The chickens, haha. Great video. Good info.

As an older man (at 46), what "Zoomers" called the "finding yourself" years (being their 20s), were practically for me my lost years, as the job I held practically had me working 12+ hour days and be on-call 24/7. Eventually, after a change in jobs, I was able to start dating....in my 30s (and I nearly got married, close to my 40s). Only problem I have today is that all of the "available" (conservative) women are either too young (and already taken), and the "single" women available are either divorced or chose to have children out of wedlock. (Plus, I'm not the greatest looking of men.)

Apart from the matter of Gen Z disregarding marriage, am I the only one who thinks Misha looks absolutely heavenly in this video? Like the nature background amongst all the flowers and the sunshine really highlights her beauty quite nicely!

Other than I loved your input of listening older persons than us for life advice instead of going with the “modern” wave, I could add the fact the most of the people, especially very young ones, don’t think that perspective of life changes in time and we change too. We don’t remain the same. So it’s super normal that at 17 you don’t think at all about kids and marriage but don’t state that you’ll think the same at 25 or 35, it just makes you look stupid and childish. Thank you once more, dear Misha👏🙌🏻🦋

Married or Single, #Balance is a great all-around principle. On another note, did you choose to film outside in that pretty setting for #EarthDay? It's also #NationalDanceDay (Which Moves are your preferred Grooves?) & #NationalJellyBeanDay (Which Flaves are your Faves?), so have fun with those. Then, tomorrow, Tasty #EnglishMuffinDay & #NationalCherryCheesecakeDay, as well as Happy #MovieTheaterDay (To which Show would you Go?) & #TakeAChanceDay (ABBA-wise or Otherwise)! It will also be #ContentCreatorDay (Keep up the Great Work). Blessings, Misha...

That may be off topic, but i gotta say, you are stunning! Миша

Good points but things are quite complicated for me as well. I'm a 22-year-old man from Turkey. I've always been single throughout my entire life and seeing people getting married at my age kinda puts me under a lot of stress I feel the clock is ticking and I've done nothing satisfactory to have a meaningful relationship let alone get married. ''Hook-up'' and pre-marital boy-girl relationships/dating, etc. are still taboo ( *in a very strict manner* I must say) in our (Turkish) culture but that's not the case, I know these are all excuses in order to justify my incapacity and my misery... I mean... I used to think the same when I was 16 as well. That time I thought ''Oh I'm 16 and never had an actual relationship up until now, what a pity, and even if I'll have a relationship in the future that won't matter because it'll be too late''. Then I turned 18 and understood that being single was actually very normal for a 16, 17 age group but now it was too late. Then turned 19 and realized the same for 18 but now it was too late. Then hit 20 and thought being single at 19 years old was absolutely ordinary but now everything was too late. Now I'm 22 and still thinking the same. Still blaming myself and couldn't find a solution yet. I'm aware that women always seek a confident, attractive, influential man. *And I will never ever be that man* ... 😔😔😔😔😔

I'm a guy who's always grown up with the idea to have children when I'm married and settled, and it's worrying that pretty much all my female friends and peers view children in such a negative light. I remember my mom telling me that there's a very strong emotional connection to having a child and it's the most precious thing in their life. It's as if that desire doesn't exist at all in gen z women and only see the part of "childbirth is painful" which yes of course but there's more than that

You are a breath of fresh air

I have been with my boyfriend for one year now and we're planning on marrying in one and a half year once I get my bachelor's. I'm twenty and just a year ago I used to think I don't need marriage at all but cliche as it sounds I met my boyfriend and realised that I want to build something profound with him. His presence has a good impact on me, I decided to pursue master's, I'm enjoying my life more and he helped me get out of my depressive episode. I want to marry him and maybe have kids in 6-8 years but for me I don't think marriage should be considered limiting. Like how is my life supposed to be limited if I'm just marrying? It's mostly red tape, maybe cool ceremony and some indication that we are intent on being together for unlimited timebeing. Is that going to stop me from travelling, exploring the world, learning new things? No, we can do some together and some on our own. One-night stands and short-term relationships are highly overrated. You can meet new interesting people and get to know about them more without sleeping with them. Life is so much more. There are some things I prioritise in life but I cannot rank one above the other. If I want to marry it certainly doesn't mean that it's one and only thing I want in life now. I just never thought before how life-changing relationship might be and how they're actually good for personal development.