This is the original book presenting the theory of emerging adulthood, which offered a new conception of development from the late teens through the twenties. The book presents emerging adulthood as a new life stage that has arisen over the past half century in developed countries. It is not merely “late adolescence,” because emerging adults are not going through puberty, are not as dependent on their parents, and are not minors under the law. Nor is it the beginning of a settled “young adulthood” in which the structure of an adult life has been built that is likely to continue for decades to ... More

This is the original book presenting the theory of emerging adulthood, which offered a new conception of development from the late teens through the twenties. The book presents emerging adulthood as a new life stage that has arisen over the past half century in developed countries. It is not merely “late adolescence,” because emerging adults are not going through puberty, are not as dependent on their parents, and are not minors under the law. Nor is it the beginning of a settled “young adulthood” in which the structure of an adult life has been built that is likely to continue for decades to come. Instead, emerging adulthood is a life stage in which explorations and instability are the norm. As they focus on their self-development, emerging adults feel in-between, on the way to adulthood but not there yet. Nevertheless, they have a high level of optimism about what the future holds for them. For this tenth anniversary edition, all the chapters have been updated, and three new ones have been added, on media uses, social class issues, and problems. The other chapters cover a wide range of topics in the lives of emerging adults, including relations with parents; love, sex, and marriage; college and the transition to work; religious beliefs and values; and how emerging adults perceive their transition to adulthood. Throughout the book, vivid interview material is combined with large-scale survey research, including a national survey of 18–29-year-olds directed by the author.