The recent social media trend of quitting jobs to be stay-at-home wives or girlfriends shows that young Americans are idealizing the maintenance of traditional gender roles.
“Traditional wife” or “housewife” are two new trends on the American social network TikTok. Some women accept to stay at home full-time, taking care of their husbands and children instead of “working hard but earning little” like other young women.
Casey Lewis, a social media trend forecaster, explains it as an act of escaping the harsh realities of life, inflation.
Experts say this lifestyle is “not something to aspire to or encourage.” Eve Rodsky, author of “Fair Play,” calls both trends “the definition of patriarchy—there’s nothing new here.” According to Rodsky, traditional wives pretend they have complete control over their choices, but in reality they’re taking huge economic risks.
Stacy Francis, president and CEO of financial advisory firm Francis Financial, advises her female clients to “take responsibility for their own financial decisions at some point in their lives.” Social media paints a glamorous picture of a secure life for traditional wives, but “that’s not real,” Francis says. Financial dependence means losing control, she stresses.
For “housewifes,” creating an imbalance in a relationship from the start can be even more problematic, says Heather Boneparth, co-author of the financial newsletter The Joint Account. The balance of power then tilts more toward the man because the woman has everything to lose.
“Staying at home” is a privilege that not all young people have. In fact, most people live paycheck to paycheck. More than 78% of American Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) are in a relationship where both partners work. Achieving the American dream, which includes owning a home, getting married, having children, saving for retirement, and having fun, requires contributions from both people.
Compared to their parents’ day, these milestones are becoming harder for young people to achieve. Studies show that young Americans are increasingly disillusioned with the status quo and prioritize experiences that promote personal happiness over long-term financial stability. Young women, whether married or not, are eager to “escape the rat race,” Lewis notes.
Young women are under a lot of pressure, says the social media expert, so being a housewife or traditional wife is “an excuse to step back and work less.”
Huy Phuong (According to CNBC )
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