When Does Adulthood Begin?

This morning I stumbled upon a story on NPR that highlighted research on some interesting differences between today’s youth and youth of decades past. This new generation (those currently 18-25), have now been termed “Generation Next” and the period of development that corresponds being labeled “emerging adulthood.”  In a nutshell, what researchers are finding is that youth in this age bracket who in the 1960’s would have been in a long term relationship, finished with school and either in a full-time job or  full-time parenthood by their early 20s, are no longer engaging in those activities. Furthermore, when asked if they feel like adults, 20-somethings respond that they feel independent in some ways but not entirely, and an overwhelming 80 percent of parents do not consider their children between the ages of 18-26 to be adults. So what does this mean for the field of youth development? First, this clearly indicates the need for supporting youth does not stop when they turn 18 and become adults in the legal sense. Youth both under and over 18 need support and guidance to make choices that will provide the most benefit to them. We have known for a long time that youth who have positive relationships with the adults in their lives are more likely to stay in school and less likely to engage in risky behaviors that can negatively impact their future. This research suggests to me that this delayed onset of adulthood will need to be matched with corresponding support. Logically then, this begs the question, what happens to the older youth who do not have that support through familial connections, particularly when there are few options for youth over 18 with regard to available services to meet their needs? If we are serious about helping ALL youth become successful, self-sufficient members of society, we have no choice but to figure it out together.