There are many reasons that adolescents mature at different rates. Some of these are within their control, while others are not. The delayed development of adolescents is not simply due to a lack of effort among this generation. Changes within our society have greatly influenced who they are, and what they will become. In these posts, I want to give an overview of possible causes for the delayed development of adolescents including: economic changes, parenting style, delay of marriage and parenting, changes in educational patterns, isolation from adults, and adolescent perceptions of adulthood. (Some of these causes could be seen as characteristics of emerging adulthood. It is difficult to tell whether they are causes or the results of delayed maturation.)
Delay of Marriage and Parenting
Emerging adults now wait longer to get married and have children. According to United States Bureau of the Census report, the median age of marriage among males in 2011 was 28.7; it was 26.5 for females. The average age of first marriages has been rising since the 1950s (US Bureau of the Census 2004, Table MS2). Premarital sex, cohabitation, and hook-ups have become the new sexual norms. Emerging adults now feel the freedom to experiment and find their sexual identity, rather than becoming locked into a committed relationship.
The delay among emerging adult to have children results in their slower development. According to the Center for Disease Control in 2010, the average age for first-time mothers is 25.4. The mean average rose for nearly all ethnicities (accessed March 28, 2013). Many emerging adults view becoming a parent at an early age as a peril to avoid, rather than a goal to achieve. The scarcity of children among this generation leads to greater freedom, less stability, and additional delays in developing a sense of responsibility.
Changes in Educational Patterns
A second reason for the lengthening of adolescence is due to changes in educational patterns. Discussing the development of adolescence as part of the human life cycle, Schweitzer comments that:
“One of the most important factors responsible for the historically late emergence of adolescence as a distinct stage within the life cycle is the scarcity of educational institutions in earlier history and cultures.” (Schweitzer)
Educational systems have a huge influence on the development of children and adolescents. As the number of years of formal education has expanded in society to increase young people’s mental capacity, other aspects of their development have slowed. The increase in higher education among emerging adults does not seem to prepare individuals to enter the adult world. Settersten says that higher education has,
“prolonged the experience of semiautonomy from the natal family for some young adults, who rarely combine school attendance with family formation and frequently continue living with their natal families or in nonfamily or single individual households.” (Settersten)
Higher education often equals four or more years of delayed autonomy for those whose parents pay their education; or delayed responsibility for those who live off educational loans.
Isolation from Adults
A related cause of delayed development is the separation of adolescents from adults. Epstein believes that their isolation from adults into settings which are peer-based (such as most educational institutions) is a major cause of teen issues. Teens are often out of control because they’ve been treated like children and are isolated from adults (Epstein). Epstein believes that problems in adolescents and their delayed development result from infantilization and isolation from adults.
As years focused on education lengthen, the time that adolescents spend away from older adults and within primarily peer-centered environments also increases. Joseph Allen, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, notes some effects of this isolation:
“
Over and over again we’ve seen life in the bubble affect teens in three critical ways: It cuts them off from meaningful roles in the adult world, it cuts them off from close day-to-day contact with adults, and it hyperexposes them to peer relationships, which then become their primary socializing influences.” (Allen)
Peer-centered environments do not just limit adolescents’ interaction with adults, they also limit their exposure to different ideas, activities, and perspectives.
In Part Two of this Post, I will briefly examine three other probable causes of delayed development: parenting style, adolescent perceptions of adulthood, and economic changes.
Resources
Allen Joseph and Claudia Allen. Escaping the endless adolescence. How we can help our teenagers grow up before they grow old.
Epstein, Robert. Teen 2.0: Saving Our Children and Families From the Torment of Adolescence.
Schweitzer, Friedrich L. The Postmodern Life Cycle: Challenges for Church and Theology.
Settersten, Richard A. On the Frontier of Adulthood.
Smith, Christian. Lost in Transition: The Dark Side of Emerging Adulthood.
Smith, Christian and Melinda Lundquist Denton. Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers.
