Gen Zers on TikTok discuss their parents' atypical marriage and sleeping arrangements
Vi Luong (@viluong), a young Gen Zer on TikTok, sparked a conversation about marriage on the platform after sharing that her parents don’t sleep in the same room.
In the TikTok video, Luong said that her parents started sleeping in separate rooms when she was about 11 years old, and it was mainly due to her father’s snoring. However, Luong noted that at a certain point, her parents acted more like roommates instead of a married couple, so the arrangement fit their lifestyle.
Still, Luong was embarrassed for a long time because she felt it was a sign that her family was dysfunctional. Yet as she got older and began to see more couples — especially those from different cultural backgrounds — do the same, she began to feel better about her own family.
“I realized its kind of normal, whether in a good or bad way,” she said. “I feel like the media is always trying to tell us that family is this perfect unit, but that’s just not the case.”
Just like Luong, many of her viewers had similar experiences growing up. Some even wanted to adopt this structure for themselves.
“My parents also sleep in separate rooms. I thought it was weird growing up but turns out it’s super common,” replied @why.waiwai.
“My parents are really in love have been married over 25 years but sleep in different rooms because it’s more comfy and they have different schedules,” commented @kimh1010.
Luong and her commenters’ openness about marriage sounded helpful to many people, as TikTokers were able to see that their examples of relationships aren’t unnatural or anything to be ashamed of.
However, these conversations can have varying consequences.
"Gen Z’s open conversations about marriage online are a double-edged sword. On the positive side, these dialogues allow for a broad exchange of ideas, personal experiences, and advice that was not available to previous generations,” certified psychology consultant, life coach and founder of Life Arkitekture, Bayu Phrihandito told In The Know by Yahoo.
On the other hand, Prihandito also thinks that engaging in conversation about marriage online can lead to Gen Zers potentially comparing themselves to someone who’s curated their internet identity, thus not making it authenttic. He says that misinformation can be spread easily, and that can cause issues down the road. Because of this, people should try to balance openness online with insights from trusted professionals who can clear up any misleading piece of information.
Nevertheless, Luong’s video was able to provide a platform for many TikTokers to see that no one strategy works for everyone.
In The Know by Yahoo is now available on Apple News — follow us here!
The post Gen Zers on TikTok discuss their parents atypical marriage and sleeping arrangements appeared first on In The Know.
More from In The Know:
