Why are young adults taking longer to grow up?

Question

people are delaying leaving school, delaying getting married, delaying getting proper jobs, delaying having children, why is this? people who use to have children early (like 21-24 years of age) are now having them when they are 28-35 years old..why is this?

From an ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE please explain the reasons for all these delays..

Answer 1

I believe it was Margaret Mead who observed that when children are taught while they are young what is expected of them when they grow up they are more mature and live happier lives.  Many children are never taught this in our society.  Many are just handed what ever they want, never have to work for anything, and never have a sense of accomplishment to give them the self-confidence needed to be a sucessful and happy adult.  

People who are not emotionally mature are going to play as long as they can before they settle down and become contributing members of society.  Why grow up when being a child is so much easier than being a grown up?

Another possibility is that as a species, we are living longer and have more time to play before growing up.  In Britain, they say the young people are staying at home longer because everything there is so expensive. Very few of the young people can afford a place of their own.  Over here, so many young people owe such enormous amounts in student loans that they can't afford to get married and have a family.

So I think it is a combination of things that hold these young people back.  Also, many young people saw their parents struggle to make ends meet while raising a family and don't want to go through that so they are putting off having a family until they can more easily afford it.  I know that certain animals will not breed or will limit the amount of young they produce if food is scarce.  Perhaps the same is true for humans.

Answer 2

I thought it would be quite obvious.  First of all, people are living much longer they in past years.  Therefore, everyone has much more time to get married and have children. Because of this, many young adults choose to stay single and "have fun" for a lot longer than in previous generations.  Also, it has become part of popular culture.  All of the young celebrities that this generation grew up with are just now getting married, and so the people of this generation feel that it is finally time to settle down.

Answer 3

the delays are do to more problems speaking economically if they actually think about the situation , no one wants to have a a child if they are going to be working and taking care of the child at the same time they are studying or not studying. but if your are a student its even worse. there is so much work you have to go through. this type of commencement in this mannner of life leads to the break of the two people who once were in love with each other. because believe it or not many of this problems is what results in split ups and confrontations. and if people want a child im sure they are going to want one with no economic problems.....because those are hard times

Answer 4

well now people wanna be all "YOUNG" and stuff so they delay things that make them "OLD". and we now have longer life spans since we got better medicines so we sorta have more time to do things. :)

Answer 5

to get more out of life before they grow old and kick the bucket. the average human being only has 75 or so years of natural life:in the meantime,someone or something could end up taking away your life today or tomorrow

Answer 6

I can't really do it from an anthropological perspective...but I can relate as a 27 year old to the question.  Most of my friends are still in school, don't have "real" jobs, and are not engaged let alone married.  From the college point of view, they say it takes 4 years to get out, but in all actuality it's 5.5 to 6 years.  You have to realize the economy and work system isn't the same as it was then.  Now we have to work to pay our way through this crazy tuition which takes longer for us to get out because we are part-timing it.  Then, back when people had 'real" jobs....it was when there were companies that allowed you to retire.  You could work for these companies for 25 and 30 years.  Now the turn-over rate of work force is crucial!  At the most you work 5 to 10 years and you move on, which is why we are moving into an entreprenural nation.  Because of this, it's prolonging families and children because most people want to feel stable when having familes.  So since we aren't getting established until we are 28.....we aren't getting married and having babies until later on in life.  That's my perspective from all friends I know from a multitude of races and family backgrounds.

Answer 7

I've noticed that young adults want to grow up faster...my neighbors have a kid, and they're only around 25. And teenagers are having s*x, drinking, doing drugs, and putting on makeup/perfume way earlier than usual. I mean, when my mom was a kid, her high school banned makeup/perfume, and forced all the girls to wear ponytails everyday to school. (no wearing hair below shoulders).

Maybe people's ideas are changing, and they want to travel around the world a bit, see everything and experience everything first, before they settle down, marry, or have children.

Answer 8

The short answer: Because they can!

The more complete answer: Because they need to!

A more anthropological perspective:

Historically individual fortunes and destinies were more closely linked with those of a community. Educations, abilities and prospects were limited to what was available locally. Close communal interaction provided support networks that permitted social, and economic longevity.

Political and health influencing were often subject to chance -- or birth privilege.

The advent of the Industrial Revolution changed social and economic structures as never before. The next major change of equivalent significance has been the Computer Age.

With enduring wealth creation more readily realised and discretionary disposable income more prolific, the necessity to "quit the nest" and secure ones own future has been much diminished. Education processes are longer, ever mutating as some economic pursuits vanish and others emerge.  

Community influence on individuals has shrunk: communities may now be global rather than parochially local; individuals options are plethora, not locally pre-destined. Political influence and involvement is free-er and more accessable: destinies more determinable. Continuity of good health more assured: life longevity more predictable.

Withy greater longevity expected, greater preparations for the more extensive life are required. The result has been changes in social expression, mores and structures.

More people live alone than ever before, "leave the nest" later, have shorter close relationships with people, communities, ideals and "things".

Or appear to.

Simply with more people and communication than previously, some societal changes may not be as significant as supposed -- just more visible.  Reality -- if it could be quantified -- may reveal the duration of particular relationships is alike to previous standards,  just that with longer (say for argument -- doubled) lives we have more time (doubled) for the number (doubled) of involvements/ careers/ relationships.

Either way longer lives need longer preparations.

Answer 9

because they don't have to be fully responsible for themselves; their entire income can be disposible, even if they have kids; why?  because their parents will bail them out or credit cards will