What Does It Mean to Be an "Emerging Adult?"

Photo Credit: Abac College / Wikimedia Commons

A recent survey commissioned by Clark University of more than 1,000 young adults has revealed some interesting characteristics of the "emerging adult" set. As someone within that set, I found myself wondering if I would agree with any of the conclusions the researchers arrived at.

The Clark University Poll of Emerging Adults was conducted online and by phone, and surveyed young people across the country between the ages of 18 and 29 in April of this year. One surprising finding was that "young people widely see the value of taking their time to get a college degree," and that "the potential debt waiting for them after graduating" is well worth it. While I would agree that getting your college degree is of the upmost importance in this job market, I've always tried to finish my degrees as quickly as possible. Who would want extra loans when you could work a little bit harder and finish sooner?

I've also argued that the potential debt college graduates incur isn't always worthwhile because, a BA from a state university is the same as a BA from an expensive private school, right? Well, that's actually not the case. After reading about the poll, I did a little research and found an Atlantic article that disproved my assumption. After looking at a couple of studies conducted at different times over the past thirty years, it became obvious that "the more elite a school, the better its alums' paychecks." Perhaps my naiveté has to do with the fact that I attended a state school for my undergraduate degree.

In a report about the Clark University poll from USA Today, the reporter put a more sarcastic spin on the optimism expressed by interviewees. In "Many 'Emerging Adults' 18-29 Are Not There Yet," it's pointed out that:

• 52% [of survey respondents] have daily or almost daily contact with parents via text, e-mail, phone, or in person.

• 34% say 'my parents are more involved in my life than I really want them to be.'

• 38% get little or no financial support from parents, but 16% do 'frequently,' 16% regularly, and 31% occasionally.

Have we become the needy generation? While we obviously value education above all else (for some, even a mortgage-worth of debt), has that value prevented us from truly entering adulthood? I live on my own and am about to be married in two months, but still my mother offers to buy my books for graduate school each semester; and I always accept her offer, because, well, I'm broke.

Does that make me less of an adult? Or has the definition of adult changed over the last couple of generations? How do we, as millennials, shake the stereotype that we're somehow stunted maturity-wise?