At age 18, when one usually graduates high school, you are thrown into the world, expecting to know what you are going to do with your life. But what are you classified as? An adult? An adolescence? Or somewhere in between? This period of time in between adolescence and adulthood can be classified as the transition phase called “emerging adulthood”, termed by Jeffrey Arnett. What Arnett defines emerging adulthood as, is the period from late teens through mid-twenties. Although, some would say this period is still defined as adolescence (ages 12 to 24); such as childhood psychiatrist, Dr. Daniel Siegel. Although the time period may be called something else depending on who you ask, there are still commonly shared, yet to be fully debunked, myths …show more content…
And the general well-being of emerging adults”. The myth that is perceived by some is that today’s emerging adults are miserable, wracked with mental illness and unhappiness. While the other hand, some believe that they are at a very optimistic and good well-being period in their life. My reaction to this myth is neutral, nor accepting or rejecting the two hypotheses. I myself have dealt with mental illness, terror, trauma, and expressed the stereotypical overwhelming senses of helplessness and cluelessness. However, as an emerging adult, I would say I am also at a high optimistic period of my life; that keeps striving for the goal of who I want to become as an individual, and as a career …show more content…
This myth particularly was risen from the aspects of pop culture, and the statement of Peter Pan; of never wanting to grow up. In the situation of Peter Pan, Peter did not want to grow up because, “if growing up means it will beneath my dignity to climb a tree, I will never grow up, never grow up, not me!” Although in today’s society, we are nor flying or climbing trees; Peter’s aspect of not wanting to grow up relates to the avoidance of adult responsibilities. These same adult responsibilities we avoid to not pay bills, not have the same daily work, go home, make dinner, sleep (and repeat) schedule; gives us the same satisfaction to stand on our own, and make our own decisions. In fact, adult responsibilities are both a blessing, and a curse. In my opinion, I personally do take advantage of having a good relationship with my mother. When it comes to things I may not know, or when I feel uneasy to perform a task, my mother is just a call away. However, this does not mean I am in the refusal to grow up, it is simply that even as an adult, you will always turn to someone with more knowledge, more experience, and particularly, the ones who raised
American teenagers are often criticized for being irresponsible and immature. Some in the older generation will also state that kids are taking too long to move out of the house. These views of young adults are pessimistic and demeaning to the current generation. While the adolescent stage has been extended, American kids are taking an ample amount of time to accept the responsibilities of becoming an adult.
Emerging Adulthood represents the period of development from late teens through their twenties, mainly focusing on the ages 18-25. This is the period which people start exploring and realizing the capabilities of their lives, which then helps them characterize as adults and no longer teenagers. This topic of psychology is compelling to me because it’s a stage that every adult has lived through, it’s interesting that we have all experienced it differently based on our life circumstances and demographics. It’s interesting to see the changes throughout the years and eventually it will be easier for young people to explore these years as more young adults are going to school nowadays. It teaches me to further understand why emerging adults go through
In today’s culture, the number of issues that the average person has to face on a daily basis, are astronomical. Millennials, in particular, have been greatly affected by this, so much so that a new phase in the human lifespan has been created just for them! Dubbed “emerging adulthood” by psychologist Jeffrey Arnett, plopped smack dab in the middle of adolescence, and adulthood, this phase captures any, and all doubts that 20-29 year olds are plagued with. From their economic standing, to racial, ethnic, and identity issues, and to disabilities ranging from both mental, and physical, this phase captures every single uncertainty, fear, and qualm that one person can possibly have in a neat little package.
The first stage is Early Adult Transition, which runs from age 17 to 22 years. It is a stage in which a person leaves adolescence and focusses on making choices about adult life. Some important decision made during this time include choosing to go college, entering the workforce, entering a serious relationship, and deciding to leave home. The second stage is entering the Adult World covers from age 22 to 28.
J. J. Arnett argues his theory about a developmental stage individuals go through of 18-25 year olds as a new concept, (Arnett, 2000, pp. 469). He describes emerging adulthood as being a sustained period of time where this age group, as mentioned previously, explores their roles preceding being an adult. These movements can include events similarly by taking longer than previous years to get married and have children, moving back in with their parents at a point during this age span, exploring self-identities, not feeling like an adult and feelings of self-failure. James E. Cote, who is a previous colleague of Arnett argues the opposite about this concept being an unexperienced developmental stage Arnett calls, “Emerging Adulthood”. Cote states
Extensive demographic and cultural shifts have taken place over the past few decades that have made late adolescence and early twenties into a new transitional developmental period known as emerging adulthood for young individuals across industrialized societies. Arnett (2000) argues that emerging adulthood is a “distinct period of the life course” that is “characterized by change and exploration of possible life directions” (469). Additionally, a critical area of identity exploration during emerging adulthood is love and romantic relationships. Arnett contends that “demographic changes in the timing of marriage and parenthood in recent decades has led to prolonged periods of adolescence and delayed adulthood transitions” (470). By postponing
The transition from adolescence into adulthood begins about the age of seventeen or eighteen: The same age as Joan, from the story "The Mystery of Room 342. " This transition is a major event in every person's life. It is where a child becomes independent, transitions into adulthood, and has to figure out things for themselves for the very first time. The Mystery of Room 342 is a very intriguing story. It opens in Bombay, but the bulk of the story takes place in Paris, France.
“Though the age boundaries are not set in stone, we will consider middle adulthood as the developmental period that begins at approximately 40 to 45 years of age and extends to about 60 to 65 years of age” (Santrock, 2013, p. 485). I interviewed two individuals for this paper. Each person was asked the same fifteen questions (Appendix). I interviewed a male and a female who fell in the midrange of middle adulthood.
Psychological experiences are the foundation of growth and development throughout the lifespan which matures an individual from infancy to old age. Without these psychological experiences an individual will be unable to integrate fully into society and can struggle to develop and maintain relationships, which may, in the future, cause an individual to experience problems with health and wellbeing. The focus of this essay is the stage within the lifespan where an individual will transition from adolescence to adulthood. Cognitive development and biological changes start to shape an individual’s future through decision making and risk-taking and starts in adolescence from eleven to eighteen years and adulthood starting at age eighteen and progresses
Adulthood has often been associated with independence. It serves as a turning point in life where one has to take responsibility for oneself and no longer being dependent on his or her family. Early adulthood, usually begins from late teens or early twenties and will last until the thirties (Santrock, 2013). Early adulthood revolves around changes and exploration while middle and late adulthood are more of stability. The transition from adolescence and adulthood differs among every individual. The onset of the transition is determined by many factors such as culture, family background, and the personality of the individual. Emerging adulthood (as cited in Santrock, 2014) is the term to describe the transition period from adolescence to adulthood.
Transitioning towards young adulthood from a teenager can be exhilarating and breathtaking, but at the same time frustrating and depressing. Imagine being in a space where you are surrounded in darkness, feeling lost and helpless; suddenly a gleam of light appeared and disappeared. Teenagers will start to ponder about their own lives, trying to find a purpose for it, or seeking for satisfaction in life. However, one might be lost on the way due to the lacking of experience or accepting dreadful opinions of the wrong person.
Young Adulthood Young adulthood lasts from ages eighteen to thirty-nine. At the beginning of young adulthood is usually when the once-adolescent individual goes off to college, which usually happens after they graduate from high school. Individuals in young adulthood make the big transition from living with their parents to living on their own for the majority of their time. It usually takes a young adult a bit of time to adjust to being away at college or living on their own.
For me, driving a car, going to Europe, graduating, and having a job have all contributed to my maturity. I have to make life and death choices every day while driving, and my choices affect other’s lives- and that bring a lot of maturity. I went to Europe basically by myself, with no parent there to hold my hand. I had to make good choices, be safe and be mature while I was half way across the world from my parents. I am graduating this year as well. After this summer I am going to college, being a real “adult” and I will be able to make my own choices. Maturity will help me keep my head on straight while I am being my own boss. For the past two years I have held the same job. This job has taught me responsibility, how to deal with money and people and basic life skills. If I were not mature I would not be able to hold a job for that long.
Transition from childhood to adulthood is not just age related. It is a shift in the way our mind starts to process things.
Becoming an adult, also known as young adulthood, is a very crucial stage in one’s life. This is the climax of physical and health processes. This is the point in life when we make plans of our futures. It is the time when we think of what life will be like as an adult and make plans for the future. Most importantly, it is when we lay the starting point for developmental changes that we will undergo throughout our lives. An adult is a person who is fully grown or developed. Some people believe that you become an adult when you are 18 years old, other believe you are an adult when you can legally buy and consume alcohol, that is, at age 21 in the United States. Others believe that you are an adult when you are supporting yourself