Accusations of Peter Pan syndrome have long dogged Generation Z and millennials. And young Americans have given their critics fresh ammunition: they prefer pets to children during their prime family-forming years.

A new Harris Poll revealed that 40% of Americans selected pets when forced to choose. Make no mistake: respondents were also offered the option of having both children and pets, which 39% chose. Still, the plurality of Americans who would rather forgo children altogether is cause for concern.

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Young Americans are apprehensive about marriage and family. As previously reported, Americans believe 26.5 is the ideal age for marriage and that married couples should have their first child a year later. But the median age at first marriage has risen to 28.6 for women and 30.2 for men, years beyond Americans’ preferred timeline for marriage and family. In other words, there is a schism between the family timeline Americans consider ideal and the one they can achieve.

Alas, 45% of those who prefer pets believe they are........

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