Is Marriage Bad for Your Social Life?

A recent article in the liberal magazine, The Atlantic, suggests that those who are married are more socially isolated than their single counterparts.  The scholars who wrote this used two national data sets to show that marrieds have a diminished social life when compared to those who are single or previously married.

The Institute for Family Studies has reviewed this information and found it to in fact show a modest gap between these groups. However, they point out that the data used presented an incomplete picture. They note that the data does not suggest that marriage is isolating, but responsible for some less time spent with friends.  They note that if one can get companionship from your spouse it is logical that they would be less likely to seek it outside the home.