Do Teens Value Marriage?

YORK, Pa., Feb. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- How do teenagers feel about marriage?  That's the controversial question posed by StageofLife.com, a writing and blogging resource for teens to Baby Boomers.  As part of its monthly writing contest series for high school and college students, the site is asking young people, "What is the value of marriage?"

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With an essay submission deadline of February 28th, 2011, over 3,440 high school and college students have already visited the student writing contest page.  From the first wave of essay submissions, teens have shared thoughts on gay marriage, traditional values and a wide range of attitudes about matrimony running the philosophical gamut.

In the pro-marriage camp, one student writer wrote, "To me, I believe that the value of marriage is priceless. It is the true meaning of unity between two people in love. It shows the trust, the devotion, and the hope for an amazing future between the two. When people get married, they want to live the rest of their lives to make their partner happy, and they will try their best to do just that. Even if they live in the Projects or in a mansion in Florida, a loving marriage could make your life better, just the way a loveless marriage can ruin you."

On the other end of the spectrum, a different StageofLife.com teen blogger wrote, "Since I was a small child, I've always wondered what the heck I would do when I grew up and had the option to…dare I say it? Get married. The prospect scared me, and at age seven, I decided that marriage was not for me. Who would want to live with me forever, and more importantly, who would I want to put up with forever?"

Keeping with the marriage theme throughout February, StageofLife.com also launched its wedding writing contest that asks, "What is your engagement proposal story?" to adult couples currently or previously married.

The current wedding and student writing contests end at Midnight (PST) on February 28th, 2011.  Winners from the contests receive gift card or cash prizes from national sponsors along with SWAG from StageofLife.com, and a new writing contest dealing with a real-world topic that concerns teens will start on March 1st, 2011.

StageofLife.com will release a formal summary/white paper outlining its findings from the teen writing contest about marriage in mid-March.  Previous StageofLife.com teen white papers address topics such as teens and stress, teens and money, teen heroes, teens and education and more.

About Stage of Life™:  StageofLife.com is a free, non-partisan, grassroots online community hosting blogs, information and resources for teens, Millennials/Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations.  Its specialized content allows users to share their life stories and includes lesson plan ideas and writing prompts for Language Arts teachers, monthly writing contests for high school students and college students, blogging resources, a platform for writers and bloggers to promote their work and much more, including My Life Rewards, an area dedicated to providing relevant coupons and discounts exclusively geared towards each stage of life.

If you'd like more information about StageofLife.com or an interview with CEO/Founder, Eric Thiegs, please use the Contact Us form on the website or contact PR/Marketing Coordinator Megan Colyer at (717) 654-9554 or megan.colyer(at)stageoflife.com.

SOURCE StageofLife.com