Jewish wedding (illustration)
Jewish wedding (illustration)iStock

A new study showed that the internet influences the age when marriage is seen as ideal.

The study included Israelis between the ages of 20-45, and showed that exposure to the internet led to a later marriage age.

In the developed world, the number of people marrying is dropping while the number of people cohabiting rises dramatically. In addition, fertility is dropping, while the average age of marriage and parenthood is rising, together with the number of hours adults work away from their families.

Several studies have shown that marriage brings substantial benefits for both men and women, and that the age of marriage is important.

The current study, conducted by Ariel University's Dr. Sabina Lissitsa, focused on the connection between the use of internet and the ideal age of marriage for both genders in Israel. The study based itself on a quantitative research based on the information from Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), as well as on 21 individual interviews with Jews and Arabs aged 19-29.

The study included 7,462 Israelis over the age of 20, representing 4.5 million Israelis. Of the 7,462 participants, 1,509 were single. Those questioned were asked about their internet habits, as well as about what they believe the ideal age of marriage for both genders is.

The findings showed that singles who used the internet to find information tended to believe the ideal age for marriage was later for both genders than those participants who did not use the internet to find information.

Internet use plays an important role in the acquisition of popular values, as well as in providing "role models" which may change a person's priorities and behavior patterns.

The findings also showed that delaying marriage has an important influence on the number of children a person has, how family responsibilities are divided, women's participation in the workforce, and the careers of both partners. In Israel, a rise in the average age of marriage may have important demographic effects.