Emerging Adulthood

One important topic discussed in the literature about  today’s college students is literature related to the concept of “emerging adulthood”, coined by Arnett. This concept highlights some of the key characteristics of college students today who are spending more time exploring between the phases of adolescence and adulthood.

This theory can help inform academic advising of students who are in this exploration phase. They are still deciding on which academic path suits their interests, strengths, and long or short-term goals.  Understanding the uncertainty they might be experiencing is important for advisors who should support their students’ personal academic journey regardless of how it might shift or evolve.

Excerpt from Chapter 1 of Emerging Adulthood:

There are five main features:

1. It is the age of identity explorations, of trying out various possibilities, especially in love and work.

2. It is the age of instability.

3. It is the most self-focused age of life.

4. It is the age of feeling in-between, in transition, neither adolescent nor adult.

5. It is the age of possibilities, when hopes flourish, when people have an unparalleled opportunity to transform their lives.

Follow the link above for a more detailed discussion of each of these features. Emerging adulthood is important for advisors to be familiar with when advising students who are in this exploratory phase because it can illuminate some of the priorities and thought-processes of these students.

Below is further reading on this topic.

Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American psychologist55(5), 469.

ABSTRACT- Emerging adulthood is proposed as a new conception of development for the period from the late teens through the twenties, with a focus on ages 18–25. A theoretical background is presented. Then evidence is provided to support the idea that emerging adulthood is a distinct period demographically, subjectively, and in terms of identity explorations. How emerging adulthood differs from adolescence and young adulthood is explained. Finally, a cultural context for the idea of emerging adulthood is outlined, and it is specified that emerging adulthood exists only in cultures that allow young people a prolonged period of independent role exploration during the late teens and twenties. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Arnett, J. J. (2007). Emerging adulthood: What is it, and what is it good for?. Child development perspectives1(2), 68-73.

ABSTRACT-This article asserts that the theory of emerging adulthood is a useful way of conceptualizing the lives of people from their late teens to their mid‐ to late 20s in industrialized societies. The place of emerging adulthood within the adult life course is discussed. The weaknesses of previous terms for this age period are examined, and emerging adulthood is argued to be preferable as a new term for a new phenomenon. With respect to the question of whether emerging adulthood is experienced positively or negatively by most people, it is argued that it is positive for most people but entails developmental challenges that may be difficult and there is great heterogeneity, with some emerging adults experiencing serious problems. With respect to the question of whether or not emerging adulthood is good for society, it is argued that claims of the dangers of emerging adulthood are overblown, but emerging adulthood is probably a mixed blessing for society.

Arnett, J. (2014). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from the late teens through the twenties (2nd edition). Oxford Press.

Recently the lives of people from age 18 to 29 have changed so dramatically that a new stage of life has developed, emerging adulthood, that is distinct from both the adolescence that precedes it and the young adulthood that comes in its wake. Rather than marrying and becoming parents in their early twenties, most people in industrialized societies now postpone these transitions until at least their late twenties, and instead spend the time in self-focused exploration as they try out different possibilities in their careers and relationships.

In Emerging Adulthood, Jeffrey Jensen Arnett identifies and labels, for the first time, this period exploration, instability, possibility, self-focus, and a sustained sense of being in limbo. An increasing number of emerging adults emphasize having meaningful and satisfying work to a degree not seen in prior generations. Marrying later and exploring more casual sexual relationships have created different hopes and fears concerning long-term commitments and the differences between love and sex. Emerging adults also face the challenge of defending their non-traditional lifestyles to parents and others outside their generation who have made much more traditional choices. In contrast to previous portrayals of emerging adults, Arnett’s research shows that they are particularly skilled at maintaining contradictory emotions–they are confident while still being wary, and optimistic in the face of large degrees of uncertainty.

As the demographics of American youth, the American workplace, and adulthood continue to evolve, Emerging Adulthood is indispensable reading for anyone wanting to understand the face of modern America.

Arnett, J., Žukauskienė, R. & Sugimura, K. (2014). The New Life Stage of Emerging Adulthood: An International Perspective.  Lancet Psychiatry, 1 569-76. Available online: http://www.jeffreyarnett.com/AZK.LANCET.2014.pdf