I hate to be the purveyor of bad news but if you're between the ages of 20 and 23 and you already consider yourself an adult, then you may have to rethink your life's narrative.

The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal writes,

"rather than age 10–19 years, a definition of 10–24 years corresponds more closely with adolescent growth and popular understandings of this life phase".

Essentially, the researchers at Lancet believe that you don't attain adulthood until you're 24; and they have good reasons.

According to a study by Rhode Island Student Assistant Service:

"the industrial revolution's new wave of digital, electronic, information technology surged, the transition from child-to-adult became more lengthy and complex. In today's technological world, it simply takes longer for youth to become adequately trained, employed, and financially independent."

Times are changing and with these changes come an evolution of trends. In recent years, societal expectations of adults like marriage, child bearing and all those other milestones that would make your parents proud, are now being delayed.

Young men and women alike are now resisting the pressure to marry early, with many of them shifting these responsibilities till their late 20s and/or early 30s. People are investing in further education that allows them stay in school till their early 30s, hence the argument for these researchers.

Professor Susan Sawyer who leads the Lancet study wrote, "Although many adult legal privileges start at age 18 years, the adoption of adult roles and responsibilities generally occurs later."

Biologically, the study claims that while you're at age 20, your brain is still in the process of maturing. Also, many of us do not grow our wisdom teeth until we're age 25 or somewhere around it. So this research helps one wonder why anyone at age 19 boldly claim to be an adult?

A percentage of individuals between the ages of 19 and 24 are mostly still dependent on their parents and whatnot, so why then claim adulthood?

Arguments against this study may run along the lines of young people becoming more complacent under the guise of patience, for example, in marriage. We can also certainly argue that this new research will be the perfect excuse for a group of youngsters to be lazy, dependent and slow to achieve, after all, they have yet to attain adulthood. Another group of experts describe this as "infantilising young people".

However we choose to spin it, there could be a number of advantages to remaining an adolescent even when you're over 20. Once this study is absorbed into our society, it unburdens young people and leaves them with little or no pressure as to getting degrees, great jobs and starting a family.

On the other hand, maybe we're all just being unnecessarily bothered about labels. So what if you don't fit the 'adolescent' or 'adult' box... just do thing and fulfill all your goals at your own pace.

After all, age is nothing but a number.

References

1. The age of adolescence

2. An introduction to adolescent development

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