Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following question.
As social media and online dating platforms like Tinder and Hinge become more visible in American society, people are beginning to consider whether relationships and the concept of love are evolving. (I) Many feel as though technology has superseded human interaction and elevated the desire for quick hookups, while others contend that modern relationships remain fundamentally the same as they were in prior generations. Sociologists like Andrew Cherlin are interested in how the perception and priorities of relationships have shifted over time. His research focuses on historical differences in marriage and family life, showing both notable changes and continuities in how Americans have loved one another over time.
Seventy-five years ago, Cherlin said, Americans chose to marry because of social pressure. He believes that marriage today remains a source of personal happiness and commitment — not just a source of legal benefits. (II) His reasoning stems from arguments for the legalization of gay marriage. Cherlin described marriage as the “ultimate merit badge” and the symbol of a successful relationship. Jeff Bowen, a social psychologist at Hopkins, contends that young people seek out stable, successful relationships, even outside of marriage. In this regard, he says, modern relationships have varied little from their predecessors. According to Bowen, young people still desire a relationship that brings them happiness.
Bowen claims that the way modern couples achieve satisfaction is considerably different. (III) A lot of those things are common across time, but how people experience those challenges and communicate them is evolving with all the other forces within and outside the relationship. Platforms like dating apps allow people to more directly communicate their interests to potential partners, as well as their goals for a prospective relationship. Unlike in the past, Cherlin argued, the goal of many modern relationships is self-gratification. There’s been a shift toward individualism: the idea that what’s important is my own satisfaction and growth, not my service to others.
According to Cherlin, the fact that couples are getting married increasingly later in life reflects this attitude. Both young men and young women are pursuing more personal development after they graduate from college. (IV) What we’ve seen is the emergence of a new life stage called "early adulthood," which goes from age 18 to upwards of age 30. Marriage, Cherlin said, remains important, but young people are spending more time developing their careers and education before settling down. Marriage is no longer a building block of adulthood but the “capstone.” “For decades, I’ve been waiting for marriage to fade away, as lots of people predicted it would. It hasn’t,” he said. “It could be here for a long time.”
(Adapted from: https://www.jhunewsletter.com + Adjusted by CEMA)
