You would have to be under a big dumb rock to not see the media’s latest obsession with marriage. They are reporting on everything from the divorce rate and how it is rising, to successful women who can’t find love, to Black successful women who are lonely to the amount of Black men in prison. It is enough to make me wonder as to whether this sudden focus on marriage is making those who are single fearful of ever getting marriage?

Think about it. What happens when someone is constantly telling you over and over again that something is bad for you? Even if you initially disagree, after some time and repetitive bullying of the topic you might start to sway your opinion. This is what I am starting to think that the media is doing. Not just with Black women and men but with the institution of marriage itself. Too much negative talk can leave a sour taste in anyone’s mouth.

When marriage is discussed it is made to be a joke. Marriage is no longer a serious institution. People compete on TV shows to get married. Celebrities get married after knowing someone for a month and their viewers follow suit. All of this plays into how seriously we view marriage as a society. When the examples are careless, people start treating commitment like entertainment instead of a lifelong decision. That is how something sacred starts to look disposable.

Is the media scaring people out of marriage with the negative statistics and numbers on a marriage lasting? Does the media make the possibility of someone even finding a partner seem impossible? Where my single folks at? The constant focus on failure can make people doubt their chances before they even try. That kind of message does not encourage hope; it encourages hesitation. If marriage keeps being presented as a trap, then people may start avoiding it before they ever give love a real chance