EMERGING ADULTHOODA NEW LIFE STAGE FOR FIRST WORLD BRANDS
Friday, February 3, 12
NEW LIFESTAGE DISCOVERED: EMERGING ADULTS
Defined by Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, psychology professor at Clark
University in the 2000s
Age: 18-30Young Adults who are in limbo between adult responsibility and autonomy and parental dependency
-- Have a job but still get $ from parents-- Unemployed after college and still living with parents but “trying to find their calling”-- Working a temporary job while they “figure it out”
(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)
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2005
THE IDEA HAS BEEN GAINING TRACTION
2010
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WHAT DO WE CALL THEM?
THE FIRST DIGITALS
TWIXTERS
SOCIAL MEDIA GENERATION
MILLENNIALS
YOUN
G AD
ULTS
GENE
RATIO
N Y
KIDULTS
YOUTHHOOD
ADUL
TESC
ENCE
BOOMERANG KIDS
THRESHOLDERS
GEN
ERAT
ION
NEX
T
GEN
ERAT
ION
D
THE DIGITAL GENERATION
20SOMETHINGS
NEXT
ERS A
ND N
ESTE
RS
FLEDGLINGS
THE ECHO-BOOMERSTHE DOTCOMS
THE
THUM
B G
ENER
ATIO
N
THE NET GENERATION
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WH0 DECIDES WHEN AN ADULT IS AN ADULT?
drink legally
vote
brain considered mature by NIMH
rent a carlast years to be on
parents’ health insurance
median age of marriage
21 25 26 28 3018 34(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)
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HOW DO WE DEFINE THIS PHASE OF LIFE?
YOUNG ADULT YOUTH EMERGING ADULT
Age: 20-40 Age: Post-Adolescent Age: 18-30
A stage of human development, faced with the
hurdle of intimacy vs. isolation
Characterized by pervasive ambivalence toward self and society, and enormous value
placed on change, transformation, and movement
Young Adults who are in limbo between adult
responsibility & autonomy and parental dependency
Defined in the 1950s Defined in the late 1960s Defined in the 2000s
(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)
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SCIENCE SUPPORTS “EMERGING ADULTHOOD” DEFINITION
The brain keeps changing up until 25
The weighing of the future keeps changing into the 20s and 30s
From 18 to 25 the most significant changes happen in the prefrontal cortex (emotional control) and cerebellum (higher order cognitive function)
“The prefrontal part is the part that allows you to... answer the question
‘What am I going to do with my life?’”
Jay Giedd, Director of NIMH study
(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)
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WHY SHOULD MARKETERS CARE?
DECISIONS AND ACTIONS DURING THIS TIME HAVE LASTING RAMIFICATIONS
Adventures, experiments, travels, relationships are embarked on with an abandon that will not happen again
Most people are accumulating formal education, meeting future spouses, making friends they will keep, and starting on careers that will last during this time
Once this generation enters their
30s, they will be in the highest
consumer spending index category
(+270 until age 55)
Source?
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EMERGING ADULT PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE
CHARACTERIZED BY
identity exploration
ambivalence
instability
self-focus
feeling in-between
a sense of possibilities
the “age 30 deadline”
(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)
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SELF-FOCUS
The task of “finding yourself” while struggling against
someone else’s idea of who you should be requires some focus
College students today are 40% less empathetic than
those of 30 years ago, with the numbers plunging
primarily after 2000 (NYT, 6/10)
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IDENTITY EXPLORATION
The curiosity and desire for self-expression that are part of growing
up are especially strong in this generation (Roper, 2009)
Identity issues arise in young people’s answers to many different
questions, suggesting that these issues are so prominent that they pervade many areas of life (Arnett, 2006)
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A SENSE OF POSSIBILITIES
They have not yet tempered their idealistic visions of what awaits
42% say chances are very good they will
achieve “the good life”(Roper, 2009)
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FEELING IN-BETWEEN
say they feel like both grown-ups and not-quite-grown-ups at
the same time
60%
(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)
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INSTABILITY
Instability is the hallmark of Emerging Adults’ school and work life
“Across the country, the American Dream seems increasingly out of reach. But nowhere
is it in greater danger than among today’s unemployed young people, who threaten to
become a lost generation” (Huffington Post, 9/24)
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THE AGE 30 DEADLINE
“This isn’t your mother’s 30.Buffet-of-life choices come with the pressure to
not only have it all, but to make it perfect.In addition to the pressure for perfection, today, we also have the added anxiety of living our
lives more publicly than ever before.”
“People have two primary questions as they near 30: Is this what it feels like to be an
adult? And am I normal?”
(“20-somethings -- get ready for a ‘Thrisis’” CNN 11/9/10
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AMBIVALENCE
They are less certain of the future, yet also more optimistic
say they are very sure that someday they will get to where
they want to be in life
96%
But there is also a distinct sense of dread, frustration, uncertainty, and not quite knowing the rules of the game
(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)
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NEW INSIGHTS AND EMOTIONS FOR BRANDS TO CONSIDER
Excitement vs. Uncertainty }{
}{ Wide open possibility vs. Confusion
}{ New Freedom vs. New Fears
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EXCITEMENT VS. UNCERTAINTY
am i taking the right path?{ }
will i succeed?{ }starting something new{ }
{
{ }trying new things
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WIDE OPEN POSSIBILITY VS. CONFUSION
{ }not held back by what’s socially acceptable
{ }going to school, getting a job, starting an
adventure
{ }what do i want to do?
{ }how can i do it?
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NEW FREEDOM VS. NEW FEARS
{ }no one is telling me what i have to do
{ }will they have negative consequences?
{}
am i making the right choices?
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RESTLESSNESS AND MOBILITY
1/3 of people in their 20s move to a new
residence every year
They go through an average of 7 jobs in their 20smore job changes than in any other stretch
(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)
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OPPRESSIVE IDEAS OF SUCCESS
“It’s somewhat terrifying to think about all the things I’m supposed to be doing in order to ‘get somewhere’ successful. When is there time to just be and enjoy?”
“There is pressure to make decisions that will form the foundation for the rest of your life in your 20s. It’s almost as if having a range of limited options would be easier.”
Volunteer
Take risks
Fall in love
Find mentors
Work
Maintain personal well-being, mental health, and nutrition
Live your dreams
Think about or go to grad school
Be financially responsible
Network with the right people
Follow your passions
TO DO!
(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)
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DID WE MISDIAGNOSE GENERATION X?
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NEW TIMETABLE OF EXPECTATIONSEM
ERGI
NG AD
ULTS
THEIR
PARE
NTS
Early 20s 30sLate 20s
(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)
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COMMITMENT COMING LATER AND LATER
1970s:
2009:
spend at least some time living with a romantic partner without being married
2/3
SHIFT IN MARRIAGE AGE
21 for women and 23 for men
26 for women and 28 for men
Anthropologically speaking cultures all over the world have shared a common belief that marriage marks not only
the life-long joining of two people in a partnership, but also the attainment of full adult status(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)
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5 TRADITIONAL MILESTONES OF ADULTHOOD1 2 3
45
Complete School Leave Home Financial Independence
Get MarriedHave a BabyFriday, February 3, 12
FEWER HITTING ALL 5 “TRADITIONAL” MILESTONES
65%of men hit all 5 in
1960
33%of men hit all 5 in
2000
77%of women hit all 5 in
1960
<50%of women hit all 5 in
2000
(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)
Friday, February 3, 12
WHAT MAKES “ME” AN ADULT?
(“Emerging Adulthood,” Jeffrey Jensen Arnett)
Accept responsibility for the consequences of my actions
Decide on personal beliefs and values independently of parents or other influences
Become less self-oriented, develop greater consideration for others Financially independent from parents
TOP 4
MILESTONESaccording to 20-
somethings
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Aging in America is like LaGuardia on a Monday morning. A long line of traffic and no one can take off!! The Boomers have the departures
blocked for the younger generations. “ONE THEORY: BOOMERS WON’T GROW UP, SO NO ONE ELSE CAN
”
(Marian Salzman, Futurist)
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FAILURE TO LAUNCH
move back home with their parents
at least once
40%Helicopter parents problem solve for children long past
when children should be problem solving for themselves
Parents regret having jumped into marriage or career, so they push their children to make
more considered choices
Boomers not wanting to let go Young Adults
not ready to grow up
(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)Friday, February 3, 12
MORE SUPPORTIVE THAN EVER
Helicopter parents need their center of gravityParents’ sense of well-being depends largely on how close they are to
their grown children and how their children are faring-- Karen Fingerman, Developmental Psychologist, Purdue University
86% had provided advice in the previous monthLess than half had done so in 1988
2 in 3 had given their son or daughter practical assistance in the previous month1 in 3 had in 1988
{{
{{(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)
BOOMERS HOLD ON EMOTIONALLY
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BOOMERS HOLD ON FINANCIALLY
American parents give an average of 10% of their income to their 18-21 year--old children This percentage is basically the same no
matter the family’s total income, meaning that upper-class kids tend to get more than
working-class ones
(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)
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IS THIS TEMPORARY OR A PERMANENT CHANGE?
CULTURAL, ECONOMIC
FORCES
LEGITIMATE NEW LIFE STAGE THAT IS
UNIVERSALvs.
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SOCIO-ECONOMIC FORCES CREATED ADOLESCENCE
Adolescence was made in America
This distinct stage is characterized by emotional upheaval (storm and stress) and a curve of dependency that starts
at age 11 and wanes over time
Created by psychologist G. Stanley Hall in 1904
With the passage of child labor laws, children under 16 were forced to stay in secondary
school, prolonging the period of dependence
And now it’s global
(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)
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SOCIO-ECONOMIC FORCES ARE CREATING “EMERGING ADULTS”
The need for more education to survive in an information-based economy
Fewer entry-level jobs even after all that schooling
Less rush to marry because of general acceptance of premarital sex, cohabitation, and birth control
Women can delay pregnancy beyond their most fertile years due to wide range of career options
and access to reproductive technology
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Emerging Adults are at liberty to pursue more elevated goals since their basic needs of food, shelter and sex
are being met
Love/Belonging
Safety
Physiological
Esteem
Self-actualization
A FIRST WORLD SELF-ACTUALIZATION PHENOMENON?Source: M
aslow
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Industrial and Developing WorldMore often, people are forced to adopt adult responsibilities early, whether or not their brains are ready. Is this changing?
Young people are allowed to forestall adult obligations without fear of public censure - so the rate of societal maturation can finally fall into better sync with the maturation of the brain
“It is a double-edged sword, because on the one hand I am so blessed with my experience and endless
options, but on the other hand, I still feel like a child.”
First World
“Walking home, in the shoes my father bought me, I still feel I have yet to grow up.”
WILL IT BE AN EXPORT ECONOMY FOR THE FIRST WORLD?
WILL EMERGING ADULTHOOD GO GLOBAL?
(“WHAT IS IT ABOUT 20-SOMETHINGS?” NYT 2010)
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APPENDIX
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YOUNG ADULTS
Age: 20-40The primary conflict is intimacy vs. isolation
During this stage, Young Adults decide whether to commit to a lifelong intimate relationship and choose the person to commit to
Defined by Erik Erikson in 1950 as a stage of human development
in Childhood and Society
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YOUTH
Age: Post-AdolescentPost-adolescents who have not settled questions whose answers once defined adulthood: questions of relationship to the existing society, vocation, social role and lifestyle.
Defined by Yale psychologist Kenneth Keniston in the late
1960s
Characterized by pervasive ambivalence toward self and society, and enormous value placed on change, transformation, and movement
Friday, February 3, 12
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