Adultish

What does it mean to be an adult? My generation's "version" of adulthood is completely different from my parents and grandparents. For example, my grandparents married very young, around high school age, and had children soon after. My parents had us in their early 20s, and were married after. Although my family can't be viewed as a model for their entire generation (Gen X), data paint a clear picture.

                                                 

   







One of the biggest variable changes between generations is the distinct economic and educational difference. We have significantly more student loans, which means we are contributing less to the economy (harder to make big purchases when struggling with student debt). We're also struggling with the unemployment rates and recession recovery.

Obviously, this could be a key reason for the decline in marriage. True, those of us who go to college aren't likely to marry while we're in school. Most of us don't want to get married or start a family when we're still paying off student debt. And most of us want to establish ourselves professionally. But, I think most of us are also more questioning, think more critically, perhaps making it harder for us to make decisions without knowing what we'll want 10, 20, 50 years from now.

Likewise, because of technology, we have so many more opportunities to focus on, and learn more about, ourselves.  We can read books, take personality tests, go on grand solo adventures... Lord knows I have done all of those, and I know that I wouldn't be so self-aware without those opportunities. Can we commit to another person before we truly understand ourselves? Or, is ignorance bliss?

In other words, I wonder if some of us feel like we have too many choices, or options, to make a decision- romantic, professional, familial.  Because we have so many options, we want to explore as many as possible in order to see what we truly want out of life.  

There's a really great TedTalk about this very subject:

I titled this post "adultish" because I live my life in a very different way than my elders. Although my life might be considered untraditional because I'm unmarried, I don't own a home,  I haven't started my career.. I am very independent, I take care of myself, and I have been with the love of my life for almost five years now.  Perhaps once I start the career off I'll feel less adultish, and more mostly-adult.