Just as adolescence has its particular psychological profile, Arnett says, so does emerging adulthood: identity exploration, instability, self-focus, feeling in-between and a rather poetic characteristic he calls “a sense of possibilities.” A few of these, especially identity exploration, are part of adolescence too, but they take on new depth and urgency in the 20s. The stakes are higher when people are approaching the age when options tend to close off and lifelong commitments must be made.
Arnett calls it “the age 30 deadline.”
How comforting. I have another five years before my options will start closing off and I really become a failure at life.
I thought I had commented on your blog awhile ago, but I might have planned on it and never actually done it. One of my friends sent me your blog awhile ago and I really like your writing! I was getting caught up when I saw this and just wanted to comment that I saw that article too, and was planning to write about it. I kind of hated it, but it was so long I'm not even sure if I can explain why I hated it.
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks! Glad you like it. Also, yes, that article was unnecessarily long, and could have just said '20-somethings have been coddled and are therefore emotionally stunted.' The article mentions a book called '20 Something Manifesto' - I found it at the library and it's mostly a corny self-help book based on the same premise as the article, but more prescriptive and less judgmental.
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