Early Marriage: Negative Impacts on the Education and Well-being of Teenagers in Indonesia

The cyberspace of tiktok and twitter or "X" is full of news of social influencer marriages who married at a young age, 19 and 16 years old. This news suddenly became a hot topic of discussion among netizens. There was a debate, some were in support and others expressed disapproval of this early marriage phenomenon.

Early marriage has become a widespread phenomenon in several countries, including Indonesia. This phenomenon not only impacts the personal lives of individuals who enter into early marriages, but also has a significant impact on their education. In recent years, we have seen many teenagers choosing to marry before they reach full adulthood. This is often done without considering the possible consequences of such a decision.

First of all, early marriage can disrupt one's education process. According to data from Indonesia's Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), in 2020, around 1.4 million women in Indonesia were married before the age of 18. This means that around 14.6% of women aged 20-24 were married before reaching full adulthood (BPS, 2020). When someone marries at too young an age, they often have to leave their school or education program to focus on their new responsibilities as a husband or wife. This can reduce their opportunity to complete formal education, hindering their ability to achieve higher career goals. For example, a study by UNESCO (2017) shows that women who marry before the age of 18 are 50% less likely to complete upper secondary education compared to those who marry after the age of 18.

In addition, early marriage can also increase the risk of ignorance and economic instability. People who marry at a young age often do not have the ability to manage their finances independently. They may not have the knowledge of how to manage finances, investments, or even how to deal with financial crises. According to the World Bank, early marriage is linked to increased poverty and low participation in the labor force. For example, in Indonesia, women who marry before the age of 18 have a much lower labor force participation rate of around 40%, compared to women who marry after the age of 20, which is around 60% (World Bank, 2019).

In a social context, early marriage can also worsen the social and economic status of families. When children marry at too young an age, they often lack the ability to create a stable income. This can make them dependent on their parents or other relatives for support, which in turn can lower the overall social and economic status of the family. A report by UNICEF (2020) shows that families with early married members tend to have a higher poverty severity index, with around 30% of them living below the poverty line.

Finally, early marriage can also disrupt a person's emotional and psychological development process. Marriages at a young age are often entered into without considering the emotional and psychological readiness required to lead a life together. This can lead to conflicts in the husband-wife relationship and can even affect their mental health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), early marriage is associated with an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems in young women (WHO, 2019).

In conclusion, early marriage has a significant impact on one's education and life. Therefore, it is important for the community and government to take preventive measures to prevent early marriage. These measures can include education on the importance of formal education, training on emotional and psychological readiness, and programs that support children to complete their education to full adulthood. By doing so, we can create a better-educated and more knowledgeable generation, who can make positive contributions to society and the country.