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Argumentative Essay On Emerging Adulthood

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Psychologist Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, PhD, once said, “If happiness is the difference between what you expect out of life and what you actually get, a lot of emerging adults are setting themselves up for unhappiness because they expect so much." One of the largest struggles that people around the age range from 18-29 face is the problem with becoming an adult. Legally, 18 is the key to adulthood, but most people this age don’t feel socially accepted as one. As an emerging adult myself, I agree. I often find myself questioning what age group I fall into. I am legally an adult, but I am often criticized on the adult choices that I make (such as moving into an apartment with my boyfriend). An article published by The American Psychological Association described Jeffrey Jensen Arnett’s work. He began a survey in 1995 that asked people ages 18-29 about what they wanted in life. 300 people were …show more content…

The argument is based on the opinion that emerging adults need to get their act together. An article in TIME Magazine published in 2005 referred to emerging adults as, “The Twixter Generation.” They use examples of adults ages 24 to 28 who still dress like teenagers and live with their parents. One of their examples included a woman who has had 17 jobs (including internships) and she wasn't even 30 years old. They are referred to as, “twixters,” because they are, “betwixt and between.” They are constantly between jobs and living quarters, and they keep putting off adult responsibility. Many sociologists, psychologists, and economists refer to them as “kidults” and “boomerang kids.” This is due to the number of adult children returning home after college. According to The University of Michigan, the amount of 26 year olds living with their parents after college has increased from 11% in 1970 to 20% in

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