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The Young Adult Years

The document discusses the developmental stage of young adulthood from ages 18 to 26. It covers the biological, psychological and social changes that occur during this period, including brain development, emotional maturity, and forming relationships. Challenges faced by young adults like lack of purpose, isolation, financial worries and academic stress are also examined.

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Sameer Khan
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16 views4 pages

The Young Adult Years

The document discusses the developmental stage of young adulthood from ages 18 to 26. It covers the biological, psychological and social changes that occur during this period, including brain development, emotional maturity, and forming relationships. Challenges faced by young adults like lack of purpose, isolation, financial worries and academic stress are also examined.

Uploaded by

Sameer Khan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The young adult years, from the late teens to the mid- to late twenties; roughly

between the ages of 18 and 26 (Bonnie et al., 2015), are a crucial time in human development
during which people must deal with a variety of significant transitions and obstacles. This
era, which is frequently defined by its dynamic character and varied paths, is highly
significant in a number of academic fields and social domains. The complexity of young
adulthood must be fully understood since it involves a range of biological, psychological, and
social changes that influence people's identities, goals, and contributions to society.

Young adulthood is a developmental stage of life that is unique from childhood and
adolescence and can be considered a vital developmental window that has a significant
impact on long-term trajectories. People are expected to take on new duties and
responsibilities at this time, along with facing substantial hurdles. The way young individuals
proceed on these courses, whether they succeed or fail, can have a significant impact on the
course of their adult lives. Young adulthood is a developmental period marked by both
opportunity and risk. When an adult turn 18, their growth process does not end there. The
brain is still developing, and new talents and weaknesses keep showing up. Therefore,
education, training, and incentives to create and contribute continue to have a profound
impact on young adults. Young adults of today live in a world that is increasingly globalized
and networked, characterized by higher risks, enhanced knowledge and information transfer,
relatively poor social mobility, and increased inequality.

The young adulthood is further divided into 3 major groups based on the distinct changes that
occurred over the time period of adulthood. These are:

i. Early Young Adulthood (Late Teens to Early Twenties)


This phase usually includes those who have recently transitioned from adolescence and
are in their late teens to early twenties. Young adults in their early years are frequently
investigating several career options, including pursuing further education, obtaining
occupational training, or taking on entry-level work.
ii. Mid Young Adulthood (Mid-Twenties): People in their mid-twenties are typically
referred to as mid- young adults, which is a time of greater stability and self-awareness. A
large number of mid-to-young individuals are starting their jobs after completing their
schooling or training. Additionally, they might be entering into more committed and
serious relationships, thinking about getting married or entering into long-term
partnerships, and beginning to more clearly define their future ambitions.
iii. Late Young Adulthood (Late Twenties to Early Thirties): This period of life is
characterized by a deeper integration and transition into adult responsibilities and is
occupied by people in their late twenties to early thirties. Late young adults frequently go
through important life transitions like advancing in their careers, or pursuing professional
growth, and committing to long-term partnerships or family planning. In addition, they
can struggle with choices like house ownership, budgetary security, and striking a balance
between job and personal obligations.
Bio-Psycho-Social Changes of Young Adulthood
Although the changes that occurred in young adulthood is gradual as compared to the
adolescence so this led to devaluing the importance of this period. However, the
transformation in young adulthood including psychological, biological and social changes are
crucial; there these developmental changes should not be overlooked.
Psychological Changes
As young adulthood is a phase of gradual change so they are gaining more emotional stability
which is a sign of maturity. The other major psychological changes include take longer to
think through complex issues before choosing a course of action, are more aware of the
possible consequences of their actions, are less affected by the allure of behavior-related
incentives, and possess more refined impulse control.

Biological Changes

In transitioning from adolescence to adulthood, the structural and functional maturation are
the important neuro-biological changes that occurred in young adults.
Synaptic pruning, myelination, and neurochemical alterations are the main processes driving
brain development from adolescent to adulthood. The intentional removal of synaptic
connections between neurons is known as synaptic pruning, and it is thought to facilitate the
experience-based specialization of brain functions.
The development of limbic systems, underpin prefrontal executive systems, motivation, and
reward processing. Young adulthood is a time when the brain systems that underpin
motivational and socioemotional processing are still developing. This influences the
development of a more complex prefrontal executive system that can plan more effectively
and sophisticatedly, which has unique effects on decision-making, such as adaptive behavior
or taking risks.
Social Changes
According to the Erik-Erikson, the major social development that occurred in the period of
the young adulthood includes formation of meaning for relationships with others otherwise it
would lead to loneliness or social isolation.
The pursuit of close connections is possible once identity is formed. Both acquaintances and
friendship are a part of these close bonds.

Challenges faced by Young Adults


As growing adults, there are various psychological, emotional and social challenges
faced by the young adults. These challenges leading them to develop anxiety and depression.
These challenges include:
The biggest emotional challenge is lacking the meaning, purpose and direction of life.
The detrimental impact of "not knowing what to do with my life" on mental health was
acknowledged by half of young adults.

The social challenges include the relationship issues thus leading them towards social
isolation. Young adults reported feeling unimportant to others in 44 percent of cases, and
loneliness in 34 percent of cases. The other major challenges include the financial worries
and academic worries thus leading to the academic stress. Financial concerns (56%) and
achievement pressure (51%) were cited by more than half of young adults as having a
detrimental effect on their mental health (Mental Health Challenges of Young Adults
Illuminated in New Report, 2023)

.
Bonnie, R. J., Stroud, C., Breiner, H., & Families, B. O. C. Y. A. (2015, January 27).

Introduction. Investing in the Health and Well-Being of Young Adults - NCBI

Bookshelf.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK284791/#:~:text=Young

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