Transition: The Role Of Friendships In Young Adulthood

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. Young adults experience role transitions, which are “the assumption of new responsibilities and duties,” (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2014, p. 265). Some role transitions include being able to vote, completing education, beginning to work full-time, leaving home, gaining financial

Friendships change in young adulthood because of all the transitions made. Some friendship connections may be lost because two friends may go to different colleges, or two friends may live far away from each other and lose touch that way (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2014, p. 292). Friendships help individuals through stressful events, and young adults who have friends from different ethnic groups are usually more open to accepting people with different backgrounds (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2014, p. 292). Friendships are important in young adulthood because it provides a support system for an individual. In any romantic relationship in young adulthood, there are three components of love, as suggested by Sternberg: passion, intimacy, and commitment (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2014, p. 293). Relationships in young adulthood are made up of these three components of love. Early in relationships, passion is high, but intimacy and commitment are low. Passion fades eventually, though, and a relationship requires an emotional bond and commitment from both people if the relationship is to last (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2014, p. 294). In romantic relationships, individuals are drawn to each other because of their similarities to one another (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2014, p. 294). It is becoming increasingly popular, though, for young adults to remain single and focus on their careers instead of getting involved in a romantic relationship. According to Kail & Cavanaugh (2014), “Estimates are that approximately 80% of men and 70% of women between ages 20 and 24 are single, with increasing numbers deciding to stay that way,” (p. 299). There are many different reasons that factor into an adults decision to stay single, whether it be because of religious beliefs, cultural beliefs, or an intense focus on career (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2014, p. 299). Although some