In history, rites of passage, rituals, or social practices that signified the transition from adolescence to adulthood, marked this transition exceptionally clearly. Unfortunately, many of these initiation rites are no longer practiced or are not as significant in modern-day and age as they previously were. Additionally, adolescents must navigate emerging maturity before becoming young adults (Arnett, 2018). A stage of growth between the completion of the adolescent phase and the youthful adult era by individuals that are constrained by the obligations of stable employment, marriage, and parenthood is known as emerging adulthood. Since the emerging adulthood stage has been around slightly over the past two decades, young adults must be thoroughly familiar with it, helping them resonate more precisely with what transpires at this level in real-life scenarios.
With the effort of many psychologists and young adults alike to understand what emerging adulthood entails, a colossal stride has taken effect. According to psychologist Jensen Arnett, Ph.D., emerging adults had a somewhat similar sense of existing in-between (Arnett, 2018). They were aware that they were emerging from adolescence’s challenges and beginning to feel in charge of themselves yet profoundly connected to their parents and families (Arnett, 2018). They seemingly tended to contemplate their identities, which shocked Arnett because he assumed that most people would have resolved this issue by the time they were teenagers.
Contrary to the preceding generation, where the typical age of marital process for men was 22 and for women was 20, the era of marriage has increased with the present generation, passing 28 years for men and just 24 for the ladies. Because of a considerably higher number of youthful persons enrolling in college, a more extended period falls between youth and adulthood, contributing to later marriage among the young group (Arnett, 2018). In the middle of the 20th century, when conflicts were raging worldwide, few high school graduates attended college, which was mostly a male domain. However, with the development of education across the globe, most young people, regardless of gender, receive some teaching that benefits all of them by eradicating illiteracy.
At this point in life, developing close, loving interactions with others is the primary source of strife and therefore achieving this goal results in satisfying partnerships. Alternatively, struggling at this point can make one feel isolated and alone. Erikson regarded forming loyal, close relationships with others as essential (Gómez-López et al., 2019). These emotionally intimate interactions are crucial to a person’s emotional health as they reach adulthood. This current era of youth is dealing with many unheard-of cases in past years. The main one is young adults being stressed out due to hardships like not having stable relationships or jobs, to the point of committing suicide at increased rates.
Diversity, which refers to the enormous variety of courses that young people can pursue and their significantly disparate levels of success, is another indicator of the emergence of maturity and disparity compared to the previous generations. Given the difficulties some young adults face, there is a critical need for significantly increased social initiatives to support them as they move into careers and families. Given the self-awareness and motivation to change that people acquire in their 20s, such attempts would be fruitful.
The onset of full maturity has been postponed due to these significant transformations, including the digital revolution, the sexual revolution, the struggle for equality for women, and the millennial campaign. Because of technological advancements, college-age people may communicate more readily with their parents. As a result, parents can frequently continue parenting activities long after their children have moved out. People are moving back home and staying with their parents more regularly than before college and into young adulthood. Persons at this age are not individuating, that is, assuming accountability for self, exercising autonomous choices, and gaining economic freedom, which would characterize them as comprehensive adults due to the expansion of parental methods.
References
Arnett, J. J. (2018). Conceptual Foundations of emerging adulthood. Emerging Adulthood and Higher Education, 11–24. Web.
Gómez-López, M., Viejo, C., & Ortega-Ruiz, R. (2019). Well-being and romantic relationships: A systematic review in adolescence and emerging adulthood. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(13), 2415. Web.