When Are You Really An Adult?

Jacob Sutton
Dr. Mirskin



More and more I am starting to believe that adulthood is a social construct.  It is more the idea of the "adult roles" you take on such as you mature throughout life that make people think think you're an adult.  Do you pay the mortgage?  Are you living independently?  Have you finally moved out of your parents' house?  Are you financially independent?  All of these things are the roles that society tells a group of people that they need to fit.  I mean, think about it.  Teenagers feel as though they need to fit certain stereotypes and roles that society throws at them all the time.  Everyone, no matter what age you are or where you come from is just so used to just being thrown into a box.  When you break out of that box, it is surprising... and possibly unsettling for another group.  For example, if an "adult" were to, say, still be living with their parents, that would surprise many people.  Because in their mind, adults don't live with their parents!  There are so many ideas of what adults should be characterized as, that I don't think classifying is the right way to go about it.

I truly just think people should just BE.  Have we ever thought about the fact that we keep talking about how putting people in boxes has gone too far in society, and how it has caused so many problems, yet by putting all of these stereotypes onto certain age groups, we're playing into this exact thing!  There are so many ideas of what people should be and HOW they should act according to their age, that it is truly overwhelming.  I really don't think we should be asking the question "when do we become an adult".  I think we should be asking ourselves "why do we feel the need to put people into boxes"?

(Sorry Jerry, I realize this blog was extremely informal and more of a rant but I really was starting to become frustrated while reading this article, as interesting as it was, and I needed to get my feelings out)


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