I've just turned 18 - I'm done with school forever and can't wait to get married, I don't care I won't have a career
A woman who got engaged aged 17 has defended her decision to marry young despite people warning it's a 'bad idea'.
While Samantha Kay's peers will be having fun with friends, dating and getting ready for university, the 18-year-old from Utah is solely focused on becoming a wife.
The TikTok creator has posted multiple videos documenting her engagement and upcoming wedding to her boyfriend of two years, Carter.
In one video that's been viewed 3.7 million times, she showed off her huge engagement ring while letting it be known that, at 17, she's 'off the market forever'.
She added that she's 'done with school', has 'a rock' on her finger and is 'counting down the days til [the] wedding'.
In the caption, she left no doubt that she was delighted with her choice to marry this year, writing: 'Getting to live my dream life so young.'
But while Samantha said she isn't afraid to be living a 'life outside of the social norms', not everyone on TikTok agreed that she's chosen the right path.
Rather, some people suspected she would feel unfulfilled in the future without prioritising other goals in her 20s.
One person wrote: 'Don't you want your own life goals, a career?'
Another appeared amazed by Samantha's reasoning, commenting: 'Done with school?? Honey... you should just be starting on real school'.
A third person was even harsher when they wrote: 'Behind a CHILD bride is not the flex you think it is'.
A fourth TikTok user was similarly pessimistic about Samantha's prospects, adding: 'I'm gonna hold your hand babes. There is only a 1 per cent chance you will be off the market past 30. PLEASE DON'T DO THIS.'
Another person encouraged her to wait, writing: 'If you're meant to be together forever... IT CAN WAIT. Wait five more years. Trust me when I say this please.'
A sixth user brought attention to Samantha's home state of Utah, suggesting her decision to marry young was a product of its conservative and religious society.
While a seventh spoke from personal experience, saying: 'As someone who married the boy she met at 18 and had kids young... People aren't telling you this is a bad idea to be pessimistic or because they "don't understand"... We're telling you because we lived it and found out the hard way'.
Yet, not everyone agreed that she's making a mistake, with one TikToker encouraging Samantha to 'live her dream'.
While Samantha stated she was living her 'dream life', not everyone online was supportive of her decision to marry young
The user said: 'Everyone hating is really projecting. It's wild how insecure y'all are. Go get it girl, live your dream'.
In another video, Samantha said that her parents were 'completely on board' with her and her 19-year-old fiancé's plan to wed.
Not only are they 'excited' for the couple, they're also involved in organising the celebrations, she explained.
Elsewhere, she draws attention to the various ways that her life will change once she weds.
In one video featuring her mother and two sisters, she says: 'They don't realise but this will be one of the last moments where they share the same name'.
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