Yes, it’s tougher being an adult today
Yes, it’s tougher to become — or to be — an adult today than it was half a century ago.
And yes, young and old alike regard adulthood with ambivalence. Young people are embarrassed and anxious by their prolonged dependence on their parents, but they also hate the idea of a mortgage, a disgruntled spouse, never-ending debt, and a life that binds them to a boring job.
Parents grumble about how long it takes their children to reach adulthood, complete their education, find a steady job, achieve financial independence, and start a family. But they don’t seem particularly happy with their own lives. Their schedules are too busy, their marriages too often sexless, their lives a constant rat race. So they spend a lot of time and money trying to turn back the clock.
Clearly "growing up" has lost its allure. That’s too bad — not because adulthood is dying, but because it’s never held so much potential.
Both its pitfalls and promises can be traced to the same development: There is no longer a clear script for adulthood. In our ever more individualistic culture, adults themselves have to give their life trajectories meaning and coherence. No wonder they’re anxious. But they also have opportunities that the men in gray flannel suits and women in pearl necklaces never had. ...