15 Timeless Traditions That Young People Are Saying ‘Thank You, Next,’ To!

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Culturally important traditions are often passed on from generation to generation. Traditionally, young people have shied away from old customs and reshaped them according to new values and lifestyles.

Media Culture says that millennials are redefining traditional life milestones. This shift is strongly inspired by technology, changes in cultural norms, and individuality. Here are 15 traditions that the next generation is giving up:

Marriage Before 30

Timeless Traditions That Young People Are Saying 'Thank You, Next,' To!
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Marriage at 25 has historically been considered a milestone. But today, few young people put marriage on their priority list. Reasons include pursuing financial freedom, personal growth, and career advancement.

Data from Statista shows that the median age at which women and men married in the United States were 28.6 and 30.5, respectively. 1990 was a big increase from 1920 when the median age was 21.2 for women and 24.6 for males. 

Since 1998, the median age at which men and women marry has risen steadily. That’s consistent with other social milestones—things like young adults moving out of home and having children—when they’re delayed longer.

Formal Dress Codes for Events

Timeless Traditions That Young People Are Saying 'Thank You, Next,' To!
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Formal attire once ruled weddings, dinners, and the workplace. But dress codes have been getting increasingly relaxed. There is a new freedom for comfort and self-expression and the ability to wear what you’d like without the constraints of stiff jeans and cumbersome T-shirts.

Owning Property Over Renting

Timeless Traditions That Young People Are Saying 'Thank You, Next,' To!
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So many young adults are rethinking the dream of homeownership and opting for renting instead. Renting comes at a higher cost than buying property, but people love their mobility and have the potential to travel extensively.

Housing prices in urban areas are skyrocketing, which many perceive as a more feasible reason to rent. You can adapt to the changes you undergo because you are not tied down.

Having Kids by a Certain Age

Timeless Traditions That Young People Are Saying 'Thank You, Next,' To!
Image credit: Cathering Ling/Flickr

Since more young people choose to put off having children, the pressure to have them by a certain age is waning. Many are forking over their desire to have children to the amount of money they think they will need to ‘progress’ as well as a stage in their personal or career development.

In the USA, on average, women wait until their late 20s or early 30s to have their first child. As women age, fertility naturally declines, which means ‘the best’ time to conceive is typically in their late 20s to early 30s for health and increased pregnancy success rates.

Weeks of Worship and Religious Ceremonies

Timeless Traditions That Young People Are Saying 'Thank You, Next,' To!
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Few participate in organized religious activities, as many instead simply turn toward personal spirituality. I believe this is because people are disappointed in traditional institutions and long for individual belief systems.

Pew Research points out that millennials are much less likely than older generations to see themselves as religious and are more likely to consider a spiritual connection a primary facet of personal identity.

Traditional Job Security and Career Paths

Timeless Traditions That Young People Are Saying 'Thank You, Next,' To!
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Job security used to be a definite nine-to-five career path. Nowadays, freelancing, gig work, and entrepreneurial endeavors are becoming popular. This change is caused by the necessity of having flexibility, work-life balance, and different work experiences.

AllWork states that freelancers are on track to represent most of the U.S. workforce by 2027 — the main shift in employment trends.

Handwritten Letters and Cursive Writing

Timeless Traditions That Young People Are Saying 'Thank You, Next,' To!
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As letters and cursive writing become obsolete, they are lost to technological communication. Handwritten notes appear archaic with email, messaging apps, and social media, which make for easy and ultra-quick interaction.

Speed and convenience push for this change, and there’s a lot of nostalgia for the hand of pen and paper, prompting some to revive this lost art in original contexts here and there, for weddings or special occasions.

Family Dinners Every Night

Timeless Traditions That Young People Are Saying 'Thank You, Next,' To!
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Fewer people dine as a family every night, as younger people tend to dine on their own or with friends. This change is due to busy schedules, social independence, and shifting family dynamics.

In an article, Forbes read that 54 percent of families said they ate dinner together daily in 2020, and 18 percent reported eating together a few times a week. However, with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and researchers at Harvard University, NPR discovered that 46 percent of families have problems eating together. 

Owning a Car vs. Rideshares or using Public Transport

Timeless Traditions That Young People Are Saying 'Thank You, Next,' To!
Image Credit: Justine007 via Pixabay

Meanwhile, sustainable transport options are gaining traction, especially among those who can continue between city surveys with car ownership declining. Today’s young people increasingly opt for public transit, cycling, and rideshare to cut their carbon footprint and live a little cheaper.

Expanding urban living and greater environmental consciousness are changing how people transport, with more people opting out of the typical car ownership paradigm.

Traditional Phone Calls

Timeless Traditions That Young People Are Saying 'Thank You, Next,' To!
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But with texting, video chats, and voice messages becoming so popular, the era of traditional phone calls is fast disappearing. These communication methods are convenient and efficient for a modern, fast-paced lifestyle, giving us opportunities to exchange asynchronously rather than long, scheduled calls.

Formal Invitations and Holiday Cards

Timeless Traditions That Young People Are Saying 'Thank You, Next,' To!
Photo Credit: Charlotte May/Pexels

Slowly, digital alternatives to the paper pastime of sending holiday cards and formal invitations are taking their place. Change comes from eco-consciousness, cost savings, and the ease of digital platforms.

They are ideal for tech-savvy younger generations—for e-cards and online invites—but some are happy to trade with physical mail for special occasions.

Formal Dinner Parties with Set Etiquette

Timeless Traditions That Young People Are Saying 'Thank You, Next,' To!
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Guests are being severed from the hallowed halls of formal etiquette at posh dinner parties for more casual, informal gatherings. Gone are the days when events focused on making attendees comfortable and creating real connections, creating more inclusive and less formal events.

This trend echoes a more general breakdown into being more informal and egalitarian, and our guests are less stressed by strict social norms.

Corporate 9-to-5 Work Hours

Timeless Traditions That Young People Are Saying 'Thank You, Next,' To!
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Working around the clock and offering flexible hours has become the new practice. It is driven by a search for a healthier work life, productivity, and freedom over one’s own schedule.

Companies have recognized these benefits, as Buffer’s report shows that 98 percent of remote workers would like to continue working remotely, at least part-time, for the rest of their careers.

Going to College as Soon as Possible After High School

Timeless Traditions That Young People Are Saying 'Thank You, Next,' To!
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The standard path after high school is no longer immediate post-high school enrollment in college. Gap years, travel, and entrepreneurial pursuits have become more popular.

Most young people are looking for purposeful practice before college and are often repelled by the cost of student loans.

Relationships and Parenting with Fixed Gender Roles

Timeless Traditions That Young People Are Saying 'Thank You, Next,' To!
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Relationships between young people are currently challenging fixed gender roles, and they generally accept gender equality and responsibilities shared by both sexes. Progressive values drive that evolution forward and involve a more inclusive distribution of tasks at home and in the workplace.

DisclaimerThis list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.

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