The institution of marriage has been "dying" for a while, and millennials are allegedly playing a major role in killing it — especially single millennial women. 

A 2014 Pew Research Center report found that a mere 26% of young adults between the ages of 18 and 32 were married in 2013, compared to 48% of baby boomers and 36% of Generation X-ers who tied the knot at the same age. But it's not just that more millennials are unmarried; we're unpartnered too. A recent Gallup poll found that a whopping 60% of women identified as single. 

But instead of being mopey sad-girls about it, plenty of young women are totally cool with this arrangement. "I just feel like I'm happier and more myself [when I'm single]," Tumblr user ptosistwitcheye told Mic. "When I'm with someone else, I constantly feel the need to be their ideal person and push who I really am to the side."

But choosing to "stay single" — whether that means entering a committed but unwed partnership eventually, or swiping left on Tinder for the long haul — isn't entirely about following your arrow or being true to oneself. Seeking other sources of happiness at work, on the road or with friends plays a huge part in many young women's pursuit of singledom. After polling Mic readers on Tumblr, we came up with six of the most common reasons why millennial women are flying solo.