Too young to get married?

Almost everyone at a certain point in their life contemplates the idea of marriage. Many picture themselves in wedding attire and eagerly await their chance to experience the magical moment, while an equal amount of people are also not very fond of the idea of commitment. But do you ever wonder if the younger generation frolics in these thoughts as well? Recently, talk shows have been mentioning several instances when teenagers have expressed the wish to get married. Their admiration for the traditional life style steers their dedication towards the idea of commitment based on love, cooperation and commitment, which are ideas that many people believe the young are still yet to understand. As a result, the government of Georgia enforced a law that places restrictions on young couples below the age of 18 to get married. The law serves to help minors concentrate on their personal development, until their reach the ripe age of 18. Many would agree that these big decisions are made too early. Through analyzing the effect of early marriage, governments also consider the protection of young children from statutory rape as well. In Georgia, the law permits parental permission to be the sole decision required in allowing the marriage to take place for individuals who are either 16 or 17. Georgia requires that the individuals reach an age of 18 before they can get married without parental consent. One may classify it as stereotypical thought, when adults believe that teenagers are often still trying to discover themselves and their interests and therefore, they can rarely ever be sure about complicated ideas such as marriage. Secondly, many adults realize that the younger generation still has their whole lives to pave out by attending school and college and a marriage would be a hindrance. Therefore, with marriage comes great responsibility and maturity which young people are in the process of developing. The law ensures the protection of the minors from the possible trials and tribulations of marriage and portrays the idea that maturity comes with age.

 This video demonstrates an adult’s view on teen marriage. It is this view that is increasingly supported by many members of the society as well. 


 This article mentions the steady rise in teenage marriage in the US since the 1990's. 

The argument that Martha Nussbaum makes in Sex and Social Justice reveals her thoughts on early marriage as well. Nussbaum expressed her opinion by mentioning that at a young age decisions can fluctuate rapidly and therefore, young couples may begin to regret their decision once they realize that they haven’t gotten a chance to experience their childhood  they way it is meant to be. Young girls who get married extremely early jeopardize their education and reputation and they have not yet developed the factors that help them make a good decision. Therefore, it could be foreseen that by choosing to marry early, young girls can get stuck in an impression that marriage is difficult and could begin to regret their decision while in all truthfulness, they did not get to experience the real feelings of affection, cooperation and maturity that he marital bond made at the right time has.

References:
1. "Notebook: Teen Marriage - CBS News Video." Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News - CBS News. Web. 09 Nov. 2010. <http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=2245614n>.
2. Teenage Marriage On The Rise - CBS News." Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News - CBS News. Web. 09 Nov. 2010. <http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/11/08/national/main528755.shtml>.