Emerging Adulthood

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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

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