People who were born in the 1970s usually reported and became independent around the age of 25 and in their early thirties at the latest. Later generations, however, delay independence, family planning and marriage more and more towards the late 30s. Developmental psychologists have stretched this developmental period of adolescence considerably. You can read why nowadays adolescence lasts until the age of 30 and what we can expect from it in the article.
Why adolescence lasts these days until the age of 30 and what can we expect from it?
A new era in individual development
Developmental psychological periods are not defined by themselves, but rather their boundaries are strongly determined according to the cultural context. At the beginning of the 20th century, adolescence almost did not exist, as most individuals started working after finishing school. In 1904, psychologist Stanley Hall defined the word and period of adolescence. This definition had a significant impact on society's attitude towards teenagers. A period of research into adolescence began and the latter became increasingly understood. A similar thing is happening today, when a new developmental psychological period is being defined, namely the transition to adulthood. This period is characterized by partial independence and an intense search for one's place under the sun.
Life expectancy has risen
One of the reasons why adolescence is moving into the 30s is that life expectancy increases every year. When life expectancy was 50 years, individuals were in more of a hurry to start their own family, but today, when life expectancy in developed countries is around 80 years, young people understandably feel as if they still have a lot of time to do so.
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The world is changing
Western culture lives in relatively peaceful conditions, as a result of which young people are in no hurry to become independent and start a family. Also, the trend is moving towards individuals having fewer children, which can make them delay having a family a bit. The longer period of adolescence is also significantly affected by the fact that religion is no longer such an important part of every individual's life, so marriage and family are no longer central values.
