Some women aren't so struck on the idea of marriage anymore.
In fact, an increased number of them are entering their 30s single. Perhaps that's why it's shocking that they can still be judged for choosing to ride life solo.
Julia Mazur, 30, from Los Angeles, is one of them, and she opens up about her life and dating experiences on her Pretty Much Done Podcast. Here she talks about single life, and various other things she has to deal with as a 30-something getting through life.
She grew up in a Russian Jewish household where she was often told by family and friends to "settle down, find a nice husband and have kids". She admitted she watched a lot of her friends get married and have children, and she found herself "trying to do the same".
Julia explained: "I feel as though society has adopted this idea that the ideal of happiness is a traditional marriage - get married in your 20s, have kids by 30, buy a house, but when I found myself in those 'safe' and 'good on paper' relationships I was deeply unhappy and unfulfilled, because I felt like I was checking off a box to appease other people.
"Through that process, I realised that’s not the only thing that can make you feel fulfilled. There are other paths. I’m 30 and single and feel very fulfilled by my life, my home, my career, my friends, my family.
"So that’s really why I created my podcast, Pretty Much Done, because I want people to be pretty much done listening to the societal pressure and noise and be open to creating the lives that they want to live, for themselves, not because someone else told them it’s the way they should live, but because it’s something that they want."
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By hosting the podcast - and sharing content on social media - Julia has connected with so many "wonderful and like-minded individuals". She said people often message her to thank her for helping them to feel seen, less alone and less shame for being single.
Sometimes as a single person, she said it's easy to feel like you’re "less valued" by society, because you’re seen as someone who isn’t desirable or valued.
She added: "In September, that happened to me on a global scale when people like Matt Walsh and Candace Owens called my life meaningless because I shared what my day looked like as a girl who is single without children.
"I realized then, that the societal pressure to get married and have kids is something that so many of us face and we somehow feel inferior if we haven’t accomplished those life milestones. I hope that through sharing my journey of learning how to appreciate myself and my life as it is, people can find comfort in knowing that they are not alone, and feel free to find joy in the present moment."
Now Julia said she thinks women are realizing that they have more autonomy and freedom to live life on their own terms. She feels they are no longer leaning on men to be "providers", as they can simply provide for themselves. She also thinks social media has given people the opportunity to see women living life on their own terms, and allowed them to feel free to do that.
Julia said: "I know that for myself, I love seeing people like Brittany Allyn (thirtywaves on Instagram), who has also been a guest on the podcast, enjoying her singledom and living her best life, making me feel okay to do so as well.
"One of my favorite parts about doing the podcast has been connecting with so many wonderful people who are living life in different kinds of ways. I love seeing that there is not a 'one size fits all' approach to life, and that there are so many ways we can choose to move through this world.
"One of my favorite podcast guests, Anna Kloots, shared her story with me on an episode about how a divorce led her to move to Paris where she fell in love with her neighbour whom she lives with now. I love seeing how people can live life in ways that we wouldn’t expect to, and how it can bring them so much more joy than the traditional 'white picket fence' life.
"I hope that stories like Anna’s and so many of my other guests can inspire my listeners to pave their own path and live a life that fulfills them instead of succumbing to societal pressures."