Are you under 24 years old? So he’s not an adult yet, according to a study

When we are children, and especially teenagers, we can’t wait for adulthood. Most young people think that, as soon as they turn 18, they will finally be able to feel like their own boss, with all the advantages that this brings. And while the United Nations says that teenager is between the ages of 10 and 19, a new study points out that we only enter adulthood when we pass 24.

we, from awesome.club, we decided to verify what is leading researchers to affirm that many of those who in the past were seen as adults, today should be considered adolescents. Check out what the study says.

Adolescence begins with puberty. And with the advancement in the quality of food and health of individuals, today this phase begins at age 10, when certain hormones come into activity.

Surprisingly, the old definition of adolescence did not take biological development into account when deciding when the stage would end. If, on the one hand, the age of 19 was considered as the entry into adulthood, several biological changes continue to occur after a person passes 20.

For example, wisdom teeth don’t usually appear until your 20s. Certain maturation processes of the brain, crucial for social interaction, also occur at this stage of life. The new definition takes these and other biological changes into account, which is precisely why the findings can be interpreted as more accurate.

Young adults, those aged 24 and under, can still be considered teenagers, as for such a generation, major life milestones occur later than they used to happen decades ago. More and more, people are waiting to get married and have children. In the US, the average age of newlyweds in the 1960s was 21. In 2015, it went to 28.

Especially in developed countries, education has become more accessible, if not free, and individuals are choosing to dedicate more time to their own training before entering the job market. In addition, there are countless young adults who face difficulties in achieving the long-awaited financial independence. A good part continues to need material support from parents, making young people examples of semi-dependence: they are not yet fully adults, despite being legally considered that way.

To define who can be considered an adolescent, we need to think about a combination of human biology and recent social changes. The definition must even be observed in the definition of public policies and laws.

Bearing in mind the correct concept of adolescence, it is possible to develop specific strategies aimed at the well-being of this segment of the population, guaranteeing them health, education and insertion in the job market. For example, stipulating age 24 as the end of adolescence can benefit people who are in transitional stages of life and need subsidies to have a place to live.

Generally, health policies consider that the adolescent is either supported by the parents, or is totally independent. And because people in their 20s often need mental health, sex education and substance abuse prevention services but still rely on their parents, they often end up without access to what they need. And the lack of money is one of the main reasons for this lack.

There are those who claim that considering a young adult person as a teenager can make him or her come to be seen as incompetent by those who are older. The result of this is the dangerous possibility of excluding young people from important social and political discussions with the potential to affect them directly.

In the workplace, young adults may end up feeling that they are not being taken seriously, and that their opinions and decisions do not carry the same weight as their older peers. And it’s not because he thinks he’s not prepared or doesn’t have enough experience, but because he realizes he’s seen that way by his fellow professionals.

What do you think of the new definitions involving adolescence? Do you agree with the idea that young people are reaching adulthood later? Leave a comment with your opinion on the topic!