It is so not 1950 anymore! Singles don't have to wait until marriage to have houses, sex, children, travel experiences, or furniture from actual stores. In fact, they don't have to marry at all. And they can choose to skip over or around any or all of the steps and accoutrements of what used to be the Standard Path through adult life.
Problem is, too many Americans are caught in a cultural lag. Our perceptions of single people and their place in society have not caught up with the realities.
How well do you know your single people? This week, September 20-26, is National Singles Week (sometimes called Unmarried and Single Americans Week). To mark the kick-off of the week, see what you know about the actual place of singles in American society and about their lives by taking the quiz below.
Today's quiz is earnest. All of the questions and answers are serious. For a singles quiz more in the style of Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert, try this. And if you need to know why we need a National Singles Week, click here to check this out.
In this quiz, "singles" refer to all unmarried Americans 18 and older, whether they are divorced, widowed, or have always been single.
1.
True or False? People who get married do not end up any happier than they were when they were single.
2.
True or False? According to a national survey, more than 90% of Americans who had always been single rated their health as excellent or good.
3.
True or False? Singles are the majority - there are more American adults who are unmarried than married.
4.
True or False? Most single people live alone.
5.
True or False? Single people do more than married people to maintain intergenerational ties and to reach out to neighbors, siblings, and friends.