Emerging Adulthood

via xkcd

This fascinating article was published recently in the New York Times. It discusses a breakthrough in developmental psychology; the possibility of a new life stage. This life stage has been coined by Jeffrey J. Arnett as"emerging adulthood" and is said to take place during the 20 somethings.

The article quotes Jeffrey J. Arnett, a professor of Clark University and leader in the movement acknowledging 20 somethings as a new life stage.
In the article Arnett says, [during emerging adulthood] "young men and women are more self-focused than at any other time of life, less certain about the future and yet also more optimistic, no matter what their economic background. This is where the “sense of possibilities” comes in, he says; they have not yet tempered their ideal­istic visions of what awaits. “The dreary, dead-end jobs, the bitter divorces, the disappointing and disrespectful children . . . none of them imagine that this is what the future holds for them,”

According to Arnett there are also many cultural implications that have played into emerging adulthood; " the need for more education to survive in an information-based economy; fewer entry-level jobs even after all that schooling; young people feeling less rush to marry because of the general acceptance of premarital sex, cohabitation and birth control; and young women feeling less rush to have babies given their wide range of career options and their access to assisted reproductive technology if they delay pregnancy beyond their most fertile years," says Arnett.

The article argues that if the life stage of "emerging adulthood" was accepted it could lead to as major of societal changes as the acceptance of adolescence in 1904. Such changes included the institution of child labor laws, increase of available education, and general provision and support for a life stage seen as critical in developing a healthy and adept adult mind.
Supporting the push for acknowledgment of emerging adulthood as a new life stage are the recent discovery's found surrounding the biological maturation of the brain. A longitudinal study of brain development sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health found that the brain does not fully develop until at least the age of 25 yrs. The article also provides many more insights into the brains of emerging adulthood all focusing on the incredible shaping and molding that occurs during this time of life.


Of all that was said for emerging adulthood in the NY times article I found the discussion on challenges of the life stage the most resonating. Living in a city of emerging adults I hear & feel myself the angst that comes with being in a place of possibilities.

This exerpt from the NY times article describes it well;
"“It’s somewhat terrifying,” writes a 25-year-old named Jennifer, “to think about all the things I’m supposed to be doing in order to ‘get somewhere’ successful: ‘Follow your passions, live your dreams, take risks, network with the right people, find mentors, be financially responsible, volunteer, work, think about or go to grad school, fall in love and maintain personal well-being, mental health and nutrition.’ When is there time to just be and enjoy?” Adds a 24-year-old from Virginia: “There is pressure to make decisions that will form the foundation for the rest of your life in your 20s. It’s almost as if having a range of limited options would be easier.”"