Read the following passage about modern relationships and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the option that best fits each of the following questions from 31 to 40.
As social media and online dating platforms like Tinder and Hinge become more visible in American society, people are beginning to question whether relationships and the concept of love are evolving. [I] Many people feel as though technology has superseded human interaction and elevated the desire for quick hook-ups, while others contend that modern relationships remain fundamentally the same as they were in previous generations. Sociologists like Andrew Cherlin are interested in how the perception and priorities of relationships have shifted over time.
75 years ago, Andrew 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, which reflect changing views on the institution itself. Andrew described marriage as the ‘ultimate merit badge’ and the symbol of a successful relationship. Henry, a social psychologist at Harvard, contends that young people seek out stable relationships, even outside of marriage. In this regard, he says, modern relationships have varied little from their predecessors. According to Henry, young people still desire a relationship that brings them happiness.
Henry 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, Andrew argued, the goal of many modern relationships is self-satisfaction. There’s been a shift toward individualism: the idea that what’s important is my own satisfaction and growth, not my service to others.
However, the fact that couples are getting married increasingly later in life reflects this attitude. [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 is no longer a building block of adulthood but the ‘capstone’.
(Adapted from The John Hopkins Newsletter)