Emerging Adulthood and Culture

Emerging Adulthood and Culture

Kevin Walters

PSY/205

January 12, 2015

Tanya Semcesen

Emerging Adulthood and Culture

Jeffrey Arnett, author of Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens through the Twenties has written that “emerging adulthood is neither adolescence nor young adulthood, but is distinct from them both.” Emerging adulthood is a time of transition, a developmental bridge between adolescence and adulthood. This period of development is a period of change and exploration. The goal of emerging adulthood is to emerge from the chrysalis of adolescence and transform into an adult. There are beneficial results as well as negative impacts of this developmental stage.

A beneficial result of emerging adulthood is the gained understanding of how to manage one’s emotions. This can be as simple as learning to control angry outbursts or disappointment with ease. This is beneficial because it demonstrates the transition between a child and a grown adult. Emotional development is a major beneficial result from emerging adulthood. Furthermore, this developmental stage encourages and aides the change from dependence upon parents to the independence that is typical of adults. This independence is beneficial because it prepares the emerging adult for their future autonomously from their parents. Currently society has labeled these emerging adults as the “Me Generation” because they are more self-focused. Furthermore, they have a sense of entitlement. “We're seeing an epidemic of people who are having a hard time making the transition to work — kids who had too much success early in life and who've become accustomed to instant gratification," says Dr. Mel Levine, a pediatrics professor at the University of North Carolina Medical School and author of a book on the topic called Ready or Not, Here Life Comes”. (IRVINE, 2005). Ms. Irvine goes on to explain that this generation has developed a sense of entitlement because of the increased push...