Highlighting a shift in how Americans are investing in “connection,” OnlyFans model Sophie Rain recently announced she has earned $100 million in revenue since 2024. Instead of investing in a lifelong relationship and the unification of two souls, it is becoming glaringly obvious that the once-revered institution of marriage is no longer the finish line for a generation choosing temporary transactions over permanent foundations.

This retreat from tradition is something that has been on a steady decline, and marriage has become an issue of partisan ideology, with marriage rates reaching all-time lows. A widening “marriage gap” has emerged in the United States, as new polls given to us by Gallup show an 18% difference in marriage rates between Republicans and Democrats, one that seems to be fueled by differing views on pornography and bodily autonomy. Yet, this gap has not always existed. It wasn’t until the early 1990s that the gap dramatically widened.