This story from NPR kind of struck a nerve with me. It looks at the continued blurring of adolescence and adulthood among twentysomethings. 40 years ago most 25-year-old males had a job, a wife, a kid, and a mortgage. Now days that’s a little less likely. Not that I think that’s a bad thing, but the question is, when does adulthood really start? When should it be expected of you?
I guess the reason this concerns me is that as someone who is now in his sixth consecutive year of collegiate studies I wonder if I’m twiddling my thumbs, and if I need to take responsibility for my life and my finances; Get out of the library and into the world.
I certainly don’t think that everyone should be expected to be married and settled down at 21, however there is an element of responsibility with that that I feel no longer applies to most young people around the age, and this is my real concern.
I’m speaking of responsibility (and maturity really) in a broader sense. Yes, you have to be responsible to have your house but that responsibility manifests itself in many other ways too, and I feel that many people I know my age don’t possess that responsibility. There is of course plenty of people I would consider responsible and mature, but most of them are out of school or never attended.
[Basically I’m once again wondering if I should drop out of grad school]
By the way the audio clip on the top of that page is just awful, I don’t recommend you listen to it. It seems to be suggesting that if you aren’t at the very least married by 19 you’re a failure, which is just stupid. The second story in the box halfway down the page is a lot more interesting, and I recommend that.
