Why are so many people in their 20s taking so long to grow up?

NY Times:

It’s happening all over, in all sorts of families, not just young people moving back home but also young people taking longer to reach adulthood overall. It’s a development that predates the current economic doldrums, and no one knows yet what the impact will be — on the prospects of the young men and women; on the parents on whom so many of them depend; on society, built on the expectation of an orderly progression in which kids finish school, grow up, start careers, make a family and eventually retire to live on pensions supported by the next crop of kids who finish school, grow up, start careers, make a family and on and on. The traditional cycle seems to have gone off course, as young people remain un tethered to romantic partners or to permanent homes, going back to school for lack of better options, traveling, avoiding commitments, competing ferociously for unpaid internships, forestalling the beginning of adult life.

The 20s are a black box, and there is a lot of churning in there. One-third of people in their 20s move to a new residence every year. Forty percent move back home with their parents at least once. They go through an average of seven jobs in their 20s, more job changes than in any other stretch. Two-thirds spend at least some time living with a romantic partner without being married. And marriage occurs later than ever. The median age at first marriage in the early 1970s, when the baby boomers were young, was 21 for women and 23 for men; by 2009 it had climbed to 26 for women and 28 for men, five years in a little more than a generation.

Becasue there's a helluva lot more life to live now.

I'm 26 and JUST going back to school for 3-5 years. I won't be married and with child for at LEAST another 5 years bringing me to an age of aafter 30 for starting a family. Why are you rushing me?

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Originally Posted by girl68 [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]

Becasue there's a helluva lot more life to live now.

I'm 26 and JUST going back to school for 3-5 years. I won't be married and with child for at LEAST another 5 years bringing me to an age of aafter 30 for starting a family. Why are you rushing me?

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it's against your biological clock. you are not being fair to your future kids and husband.

Life expectancy is longer. I'm not surprised that this delays the maturing process.

technology has made it much much safer to have children later. and piss off about the future husbnd he'd rather have a happy old wife then a young stupid one who doesn't have life expereince.

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Originally Posted by girl68 [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]

technology has made it much much safer to have children later. and piss off about the future husbnd he'd rather have a happy old wife then a young stupid one who doesn't have life expereince.

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that's complete bullshit. keep telling yourself that.

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Originally Posted by girl68 [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]

technology has made it much much safer to have children later. and piss off about the future husbnd he'd rather have a happy old wife then a young stupid one who doesn't have life expereince.

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Actually, I think a lot of men like them young and dumb.

I'm 25 and have finally been able to work myself into a position that will prove extremely beneficial to me career-wise.

In high school, my class was heavily pushed to apply to 4-year schools under the guise that they were better than 2-year schools and/or no school. Originally, what I wanted was to work with horses, so my guidance counselor provided me with a list of colleges that had equestrian teams. She never mentioned that I could possibly go to community college for 2 years and then transfer to a school Johnson and Wales to major in Equine Management. Makes me wonder if SHE even knew. So, I settled on a 4-year school and decided to major in English because at that point in my high school career I wasn't sure what else I was good at, and I was still very introverted.

I'm very very frustrated with all the BS my high school administration put me through. If someone had had the knowledge and forsight to teach me what I know now, I'd be much further along career-wise. In my opinion, education standards need a huge overhaul including standards for educating and training future teachers. It pisses me off that the teaching profession seems to invite many who have a degree in specialized fields to become teachers. Some people really shouldn't be teachers, just like some people shouldn't work in customer service.

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Originally Posted by vashti [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]

Actually, I think a lot of men like them young and dumb.

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Maybe, but mine doesn't. He's all for me persuing my education in the long run it's significantly beneficial for him as I can contribute much more to household. He told me, he encouraged me on persuing education which to you equals "bullshit".

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Originally Posted by lahnnabell [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]

I'm 25 and have finally been able to work myself into a position that will prove extremely beneficial to me career-wise.

In high school, my class was heavily pushed to apply to 4-year schools under the guise that they were better than 2-year schools and/or no school. Originally, what I wanted was to work with horses, so my guidance counselor provided me with a list of colleges that had equestrian teams. She never mentioned that I could possibly go to community college for 2 years and then transfer to a school Johnson and Wales to major in Equine Management. Makes me wonder if SHE even knew. So, I settled on a 4-year school and decided to major in English because at that point in my high school career I wasn't sure what else I was good at, and I was still very introverted.

I'm very very frustrated with all the BS my high school administration put me through. If someone had had the knowledge and forsight to teach me what I know now, I'd be much further along career-wise. In my opinion, education standards need a huge overhaul including standards for educating and training future teachers. It pisses me off that the teaching profession seems to invite many who have a degree in specialized fields to become teachers. Some people really shouldn't be teachers, just like some people shouldn't work in customer service.

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that's exactly what i see happening to a lot of young people nowadays. i am glad my sister had me research everything before she went to college.

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Originally Posted by girl68 [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]

Maybe, but mine doesn't. He's all for me persuing my education in the long run it's significantly beneficial for him as I can contribute much more to household. He told me, he encouraged me on persuing education which to you equals "bullshit".

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did i say that?

it's ironic though, that males encourage women to pursue their education so they won't be expected to have the same level of financial responsibility previous generations of men have shouldered. :D

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Originally Posted by girl68 [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]

Maybe, but mine doesn't. He's all for me persuing my education in the long run it's significantly beneficial for him as I can contribute much more to household. He told me, he encouraged me on persuing education which to you equals "bullshit".

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huh? education to me equals "bullshit"?

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Originally Posted by girl68 [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]

Maybe, but mine doesn't. He's all for me persuing my education in the long run it's significantly beneficial for him as I can contribute much more to household. He told me, he encouraged me on persuing education which to you equals "bullshit".

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talk to me in 10 years, when he dumps your old educated ass for someone younger.

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Originally Posted by vashti [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]

did i say that?

it's ironic though, that males encourage women to pursue their education so they won't be expected to have the same level of financial responsibility previous generations of men have shouldered. :D

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that's right in turn I'm not the sole homemaker, instead we're both breadwinners, both 'homemakers'.

No you didn't Indig did. She said my persuing school at this age is bullshit and I should keep telling myself that.

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Originally Posted by Indignant [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]

talk to me in 10 years, when he dumps your old educated ass for someone younger.

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Ohhh geeze, because I'm educated and well employed my ass is gonna be dumped? God what an argument. Are you seriously telling me I should stop school and pump out kids with a mediorce job to please my man?