The culture on the BYU campus is that marriage is just a matter of checking off the box. This toxic dating culture encourages students to rush to the altar with someone they barely know.
Many young students now view dating as a chore rather than a chance to get to know someone better and build a stronger friendship. BYU students are constantly pressured by their peers, family and ward members to invest in serious personal relationships and marriages. They are unfairly compared to their siblings and friends, leading them to believe that they are unwanted or not enough.
This way of thinking allows for quantity over quality to creep in and soil their future dates. It is so disheartening for young adults, who have sacrificed so much to be surrounded by others who uphold their moral values, to be subjected to this exhausting dating culture that encompasses the BYU campus.
This environment tends to breed naive newlyweds who are unprepared for the realities of marriage. Couples who rush into their marriages and don’t really know their partner often see an increase in marital issues and chances of divorce.
Relationship culture at BYU should focus more on an eternal perspective than on checking off a box.
Rachel Walbom, Provo
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