The Twenties are the New Teens?

The folks over at Lemondrop published the findings of an exclusive survey that reveals some interesting trends related to "twenty-somethings" and introduces the new phase, "emerging adult." I call it AdulthoodLite.

Fewer and fewer women in their twenties are getting married, starting families and buying homes. These pivotal events are being delayed more and more to make room for extended education, living with a significant other or moving back home with the parents. We're taking longer to reach these milestones than any generation before us. Thus, our twenties is the decade where we spend most of our time trying to figure out what we want out of life and thereby "emerging" in our thirties as the carefully crafted adults we want to be.

This makes so much sense in a world where technology has evolved more rapidly than society itself. We hesitate to move decisively in one direction or another because things are changing so rapidly. We want to wait, watch and then choose, based on our desires and hopes rather than out of necessity or tradition.

On the other side of the coin, this "failure to launch" is fueled instead by angst and fear:

"Being in my mid-20s feels bizarre," says Christina, 25. "It feels like I'm doing everything right and everything wrong at the same time. I'm single, I live with my parents, I don't have a permanent job (although I do have a very impressive internship). But at the same time, I'm in grad school, fairly successful at my program, and have a healthy social life, generally all the things I need to build a successful future."

And speaking of a successful future, apparently, by the time we hit 30, we've already had six jobs! Gone are the days of working 20 and 30 years with the same company. We are truly a new breed. Check out the article for a complete rundown of "emerging adults" and what you find just might surprise you!