For Generation Z, the script on divorce is being completely rewritten. What was once a source of shame and social stigma is now increasingly framed as an act of empowerment and a cause for celebration.
The Social Media Shift: From Stigma to Celebration
When 24-year-old content creator Michel Janse from Texas discovered her husband's infidelity, it ended their three-year marriage. While processing the split, she began sharing her experience on YouTube, describing her former union as a 'narcissistic and emotionally abusive marriage'.
In the online spaces where young divorcees gather, Janse noticed a new, empowering language surrounding the end of a marriage. 'I saw a TikTok of a young couple high-fiving each other after getting a divorce,' says Janse, now 28 and remarried. 'I think our generation sees divorce as a celebration that we didn’t waste time in something that wasn’t serving us.'
This sentiment is a stark contrast to the views held by Baby Boomers (aged 60-79) and Gen X (45-60). Janse, who grew up in a Christian community where divorce was taboo, believes her generation has rebranded it, particularly on platforms like TikTok. 'It’s gone from shameful to chic in a weird way,' she notes, pointing to viral posts from creators like Aspyn Ovard, who labels her experience as being in a 'divorce era'.
Prenups and Practicality: A Generation Protecting Itself
This reframing is not just about emotion; it's backed by financial pragmatism. Gen Z is acutely aware that nearly 50 percent of U.S. marriages end in divorce, and they are taking steps to protect themselves.
Prenuptial agreements are booming, according to Jacqueline Newman, a managing partner at Berkman Bottger Newman & Schein LLP in New York City. These contracts, which outline the division of assets if a marriage ends, now constitute a staggering 40 percent of her practice.
'Not to sound unromantic, but at the end of the day, marriages are legal contracts,' Newman explains. 'Gen Z is more accepting of prenups than older generations because they understand the practicalities of divorce and want to avoid the nasty splits they witnessed growing up.'
This desire for self-preservation stems from a determination not to repeat the patterns they saw in their parents' marriages, which often persisted out of duty rather than happiness. 'I have friends who wonder why their parents are still together,' Janse says. 'If I get in that spot, I don't want that to be my life.'
Speaking Up and Walking Away
Statistically, Gen Z as a whole is marrying less and later than previous generations. The average marriage age in the U.S. is 28.6 for women and 30.2 for men. However, for those who do wed young, there is a clear trend of being unwilling to settle for an unhappy union.
Jenny Bradley, a divorce attorney and founder of Triangle Smart Divorce in North Carolina, observes a dramatic difference in attitudes between generations. 'Gen Z has been taught that if you're not happy, change it,' she says. While she cautions this can sometimes lead to giving up too soon, the contrast is stark. Compared to Gen X clients who may deliberate for years, Gen Z-ers arrive 'guns blazing... And they're like, 'we're done.''
Armed with therapy-informed language like 'gaslighting' and a focus on mental health, they are quick to identify red flags. For Alina, a 28-year-old fashion stylist from New York City who married at 21, her divorce after four years was a growth process. 'It was that first, toxic big love where you bond over your traumas,' she reflects. Now engaged again, she feels her new relationship is 'way more intentional'.
Despite the heartache, the overarching feeling among young divorcees is one of optimism. 'Though divorce is really scary, I haven’t met anybody who has regretted doing it,' Michel Janse concludes. 'If you get to a point in your marriage where it is unsafe, unhealthy... then there’s goodness on the other side.'
