Almost all singles have experienced it, being discriminated because you are not married. It is everywhere, from the media, advertisements, your workplace, even your friends and family. You know what they are thinking “Aw, poor thing cannot even find a husband/wife. There must be something wrong with her/him.” And how many times do you have to hear your mother or father say, “When are you going to get married and give me some grandchildren?” Why? What is wrong with choosing to be single? Not everyone wants to be married. Nothing wrong with that at all.

What is Singlism?

Singlism is not a new thing. It is just that more people are actually choosing to stay single and standing up for themselves. So what is singlism? The basic definition is the discrimination, stigmatizing, marginalizing, and stereotyping of people who are not married or in a relationship. Here are some examples:

  • Your boss always chooses you to work late or work weekends because you “do not have a family.”
  • People on television commercials are almost always married couples.
  • Sitcoms and other shows on television are typically focused on married couples or people looking for their perfect partner.
  • Married people get higher tax breaks and better benefits at work.
  • Married couples get better prices on insurance such as health, life, and car insurance.
  • Renters choose married couples over singles over 50% of the time.
  • There are over one thousand laws (including Social Security) that give better benefits to those who are married.
  • On average, single people get paid less at work than married people.
  • Your friends go out on the weekends as couples and do not invite you because they think you will feel like a “third wheel.”

You get the picture, right? In fact, if you are single, you probably already knew about all of these and more. The thing is, we are not supposed to discriminate against anyone, yet we do it every day and so does the government. Why?

Why Do People Think Marriage is Better?

That is a good question. Why do people think it is better to be married than it is to be single? Why do people think there must be something wrong with you if you are not in a romantic relationship with someone? It is a societal thing. Society has made it this way from the beginning and it has been instilled in us from the time we were babies. Little girls are always given dolls to play with and encouraged to be properly married and be a mother. Boys are constantly nagged by their mothers to get married and give her some grandbabies. Now, you cannot get on your email or watch television without seeing an advertisement for a dating app.

Being Single is the New Thing to Do

According to experts, living alone is getting to be more popular than ever. In the United States, adults living without a partner or spouse has risen from 39% to 42% in 2017. While some people still believe that getting married is a major goal in their lives, society is finally starting to see the truth. By disproving false studies about married people being healthier than single people and others that tried to prove that married couples were happier than single people, we are finally starting to make some headway into exposing the truth. You do not have to be married or in a relationship to be happy and healthy.

Are you or someone you love having a difficult time with being single? Do you need someone to talk to? You can get free counseling from BetterHelp.com today without even leaving your house and you do not even need an appointment.