Has anybody noticed the constant group of people rushing life, especially on social media?

No? I am the only one, okay.

Maybe it’s because of the COVID-19 pandemic or just the age I am but I have noticed all my friends on social media is posting/announcing they are engaged, married, or pregnant.

Now, I am not saying there is anything wrong with it, but I cannot help but wonder when it is going to my turn because I feel like all of them are one step ahead of me.

But then I realized:

1. The responsibility of marriage and children scare me now.

2. Everybody gets to different stages throughout life at different times.

3. Last but certainly not least, I am career ideal driven.

I want to travel and establish myself in life, my career, and my relationship.

I think society puts a lot of pressure on women in their twenties to get married and have children.

But the more I realize this the more and more people rush into it when later they agree they weren’t ready when it happened, but they would not change it.

I just think society needs to conform to a new normal of encouraging more than just rushing things especially after nearly six months of being with a significant other.

Also, why is it always women?

Society says have children, some women do not want to and that is okay.

Society say get married, and some do not want to, again that is okay.

Society says stay home, and some women do not want to. They want careers.

Nothing is wrong with decisions people make I just want people to stop and smell the roses.

Also, it just seems like once the pandemic hit everyone decided now or never, which is weird to me.

I guess you could say people’s drastic reactions to these announcements still elude me.

Again, I am happy for my friends, but I am also very tired of seeing “COVID Engagements,” “Pandemic Weddings,” and “Quarantine Babies.”

I am also not irritated if your wedding got postponed because of the pandemic, I just think society needs to chill a lot on the pressures of getting married in your twenties and starting a family.

I guess it also does not help that during quarantine I practically lived on social media and saw everyone announcing these constantly and consistently.

My last point I want to make is if you got engaged, married, or pregnant during this time: congratulations.

Katelyn Eddington is a senior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or at kdeddington@eiu.edu.