Marriage is a commitment to spend the rest of your life with someone else and this commitment should not  be taken lightly. When you find that one person in life, it’s important to stay faithful. Healthy conflict is okay, but posting about these conflicts on social media should be discouraged.It should never get to the extreme of cheating and losing your one and only. The words “I love you” come with an expectation of faithfulness to your significant other.  Publicly, people’s love lives appear to be going great, but the divorce rate in the United States is at an all-time high.

According to the Institute for Family Studies, the divorce rate was approximately 35 percent between 2008 and 2016. Another study by the Institute for Family Studies confirmed that the divorce rate among highly educated couples was 11 percent while the divorce rate for lower-income couples was 17 percent. Research showed that lower-income couples run into these problems whether it’s money or actual unhappiness between the couples in their households. Some of these couples have to work two jobs and see each other less frequently.

Lower income families have to stress more about money because they have financial arguments and sometimes jobs take a burden on them. When they have kids and not having a lot of money to get them what they want is difficult.

Higher-income couples don’t always worry about money or housing situations, but that does not mean they do not argue. Conflict still exists in every relationship, and it doesn’t always have to do with money. There is not much of a difference between lower income and higher income couples. Higher income families don’t have the financial burden that lower income families have. They have money to get them through tough times. That doesn’t mean they do not argue, but when you take out the aspect of financial issues then it makes it a little easier.

The reasons for divorce are a mixture of factors including long distance, arguments, new jobs-more traveling and not seeing eye-to-eye anymore. But the main reason couples are getting divorced is cheating. This is still a tremendous issue in our world. Ultimately, the solution is to stay committed.

Another study by the Institute for Family Studies states that cheating rates have skyrocketed both in and out of marriages. The findings show millennials are not cheating as much in marriages, which has brought the percentages down. Institute for Family Studies states millennials are leading in cheating before marriage at a sickening rate of 45 percent. That means that 1 in 2 relationships are dealing with cheating before marriage. The study found that men —20 percent— are generally more likely to cheat than women —13 percent—, although the gender gap in infidelity varies by age. The study also details that men, adults from broken homes and those who do not or rarely attend religious services are more likely to cheat on their spouse.

The divorce rate must decrease. It’s a staggering number, and reducing the rate of divorce would make the percentages better as a whole. In movies and books, romance used to blossom and outweigh everything else. The characters were always committed to one partner. In today’s society, a lot of movies have a plot that include catching your significant other cheating and what happens as a result. I understand that these are fictional scenarios, but even screenwriters know stories about cheating might sell better and attract a larger audience since it’s happening in our everyday lives

People used to remain committed to their significant other, but now we are on the verge of almost half of marriages ending in divorce. According to Planned Parenthood, if you are having relationship problems, there are the seven ways to have a growing relationship.

  1. Love yourself: Being confident with who you are will make you a happier person.
  2. Communicate: Talk to your partner about how you feel. Ask them questions and listen to their answers. If you’re upset, tell your significant other because they can’t read your mind. Talking through problems can build trust and makes your relationship stronger.
  3. Be honest: Be truthful with each other about what you do, think and feel. Honesty creates trust, and few things harm a relationship more than lies.
  4. Give each other some space: Spending time with each other is great, but spending every single second of the day together is not. It’s healthy to have  friends and interests outside of the relationship. You are both still independent people.
  5. Agree to disagree: You’re not always going to see eye to eye and that’s OK. The important thing is to respect each other’s opinions and ideas.
  6. Forgive and ask for forgiveness: Everybody makes mistakes. Be willing to apologize for yours and accept your partner’s apologies.
  7. Support each other: When your partner does something great, tell them! Also, your partner should do the same for you.

By following and understanding those simple steps, more relationships will be healthier and couples will grow stronger together.