Those old enough to remember Alice Cooper will also remember his song Eighteen. Released in 1970, it's about the confusing yet hopeful period of life when you realize you're becoming an adult.
If Alice wrote the song today, he would likely title it Twenty-Eight, or at least that's what the results of Clarke University's poll of emerging adults indicates.
The chart on the right, from a USA Today article on the study, shows that less than half of emerging adults (ages 18-29) consider themselves to be adults.
The key quote from the story shows today's emerging adults are facing the same issues and mixed feelings Alice described in 1970:
More than half (56%) say they often feel anxious; 33% often feel depressed; 65% say "this time of my life is full of uncertainty." Yet 82% say "it still seems like anything is possible."
Emerging adults are extending their childhood and delaying traditional markers of adulthood such as marriage, children and careers until their late 20's or early 30's.
And while the Great Recession has accelerated this shift, it didn't cause it.
Delayed adulthood is a trend that has been building for several decades and gained a lot of attention when Gen X (born 1965-1980) entered adulthood.
Most observers of this trend, including the Clarke University professor who led this study and coined the term "emerging adulthood", expect it to continue.
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