Last week, I discussed the rise of materialism among teens and young adults and how over-prioritization of money, possessions, and careers is playing an underappreciated role in disrupting family formation today. This week, I extend that discussion by addressing two ways that research has shown that materialism harms marriages and, most importantly, what can couples do to safeguard their marriage from these harms.
Most people assume that financial problems in marriage are simply an income problem. The basic belief is that if a couple has a lot of money, they won’t have financial problems, and if they don’t earn a lot of money, they will have financial problems. This is the core assumption of those who endorse materialism as a practical fix to the economic realities of modern life — you just need to make more money!
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