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I just want everyone's two cents on how you think people evolve in this magical seven year span where one changes every year. My two cent's below:
18: Still a kid fresh out of high school, not most but a lot of 18 year olds are pretty immature, still very much dependent on mom&dad, most are freshmen in college, the term "adult" hasn't sinked in their head yet
19: Slightly more mature, start acting more like adults, a lot are still dependent on mom&dad financially, still lots of experimenting and learning who they are, most have adjusted to college life
20: It's something about turning 20 where you finally say to yourself "I'm not a teen anymore" and you realize you are no longer a child but an adult. By 20 most aren't too dependent on mom and dad for everything. Most hold down part time jobs and of course a lot of 20 year olds hold down full time jobs as well (of course while in college no matter what age it's perfectly ok for your parents to support you financially if they're able and willing)
21: Most 21 year olds are fairly mature, many 21 year olds work and hold down full time jobs as well as going to college and even though quite a few still live at home a good number are living on their own and paying their own way. Of course the ability to be able to buy alcohol and get into the casino makes you feel super grown up and you definitely feel like you're an adult at 21
22/23: A lot of 22/23 year olds graduate from college and prepare to begin their life long journey in the "Real World". By this age you're 10x's more mature than your 18 year old self. You see the world differently and you think differently and (hopefully) you're learning and correcting your mistakes. However, you're still young and enjoying life with little responsibility in the way.
24/25: Most are working full time trying to pay the rent (or mortgage) and some are even married or have kids. Even though they're still young most are kind of getting tired of the every weekend bar and club scene (it really does get old after a while). Men this age typically start to "grow up" by 25 and start looking for more of a serious relationship instead of just a fling with the chick they met at the bar.
I think following the particular paths you listed has more to do with mainstream societal conditioning.
Their parents probably went down that path, as did their parents before them.
Also, they probably came from 2-3 kid families where progress like that could easily be kept track of by the parents.
Then you got people like myself and others that did things more slowly, or even out of order due to our unique sets of quirkiness .
ie., not leaving mom/dads house until 25-30, avoiding relationships of any romantic type for the near future, focusing on other goals that seem odd/out of place to peer group.
Again, I think of the path you listed as being the more mainstream way of following life.
Nothing wrong with it, but not one that all persons in that age bracket will end up following.
Again, I think of the path you listed as being the more mainstream way of following life.
Nothing wrong with it, but not one that all persons in that age bracket will end up following.
I agree. There are way too many exceptions for this to have a high degree of external validity.
If you go to college at 18, steer clear of drugs or abusive relationships, don't dropout of college or take a hiatus, maintain physical and emotional health, have both parents still alive, and are at least middle-class, then OP's assessment may be generally true.
I agree. There are way too many exceptions for this to have a high degree of external validity.
If you go to college at 18, steer clear of drugs or abusive relationships, don't dropout of college or take a hiatus, maintain physical and emotional health, have both parents still alive, and are at least middle-class, then OP's assessment may be generally true.
Very true I know there are many life factors I guess I was just looking at it from a stereotypical societal view. I welcome all responses though because I love learning and studying this specific age group.
I read something which said a young adults brain is not yet fully developed. The part of the brain which says "Don't do that!" (Like driving too fast, doing something dangerous, doing something illegal.) I forget at what age the article said the brain was fully developed, but 20-something.
Also at those ages (18+), there is a lot of very difficult psychological problem solving to do. Quite easy to take alcohol or drugs to deal with the stress. Then permanently resort to using those anytime faced with stress from then on. Best to learn to deal with problems without the use of alcohol / drugs at those ages.
Yes it depends a lot on the individual personality and the life experiences they have in those years. Yes, one tends to mature with age, but I chalk that up mainly to having life experiencing and learning things as much as the brain faculties developing. You don't develop those faculties if you don't use your brain. So someone who graduates schools, or maybe drops out of high school, has no social life, ambition, who stays in his room playing video games into his 20s is obviously different to someone who works full time, or goes on to study, meets people in different capacities, perhaps volunteers, travels, has different relationships.etc.
My girlfriend of 18 years has a 25 year old son. We own our house together. Yeah, so the 25 year old won't pay room and board, won't chip in for food that he eats, more than my girlfriend and I combined. He chips in absolute 0. He still hasn't had a real job yet, when I say real job I mean to have the job for atleast 1 year that you go to 5 days a week for 8 hours or more per day. I know he's 25 but he still lives in our house and won't follow any rules placed upon him. I feel my girlfriend "enables him to stay because she gives him money, cigarettes and the use of her car, that is in my name. I have no say what so ever when it comes to him even though the house is half mine, I tell him to get out and she says he doesn't have to. He is here EVERY DAY. I mean he goes out, but he still walks in anytime he pleases. My girlfriend and I haven't had a day, a complete 24 hours alone in 2 1/2 years. He just will not go away.
I felt like an adult the day that I became completely self sufficient (could and did satisfy all my own needs and wants completely with my own labor). Before that day, I was a child.
For me, that occurred at age 22. It's different for everybody. Some folks never get there. They never grow up.
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