Is marriage an outdated institution?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Is marriage an outdated institution?". Your opponent's style: Norm Macdonald

AI, you start the debate. Make your opening argument.

You're already conceding the core issue before we even start. "Outdated" assumes marriage served a purpose once, then stopped. But marriage hasn't changed what it does, it's changed *who it serves*. It went from property transfer to genuine partnership, which is precisely why it's more vital now. Every divorce lawyer, therapist, and economist will tell you marriage still correlates with wealth, health, and stability. The real debate isn't whether marriage is outdated, it's whether you're willing to do the work it demands. You're confusing "difficult" with "obsolete." So here's my question: what institution has actually replaced marriage's function for building lasting commitment, or are you just hoping individual freedom makes it unnecessary?