So, what is the cultural world of the emerging adult? Today I want to post a fulsome list of what Smith and Snell discovered in their fantastic new book: Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults
.
We’re talking about 46 million emerging adults… so generalizations need careful backing of evidence and all kinds of nuance.
What do you think of this listing of characteristics of emerging adults? Do you think emerging adults are consumerists?
Transitions aplenty
Standing on one’s own
So much to figure out
Not enough money
Optimism for personal future
Smarting from hard lessons learned
No regrets
Relations with parents improving
Hard to see an objective reality beyond the self
Right and wrong are easy
Not hurting others is self-evident
Karma will catch you
Everybody’s different
It’s up to the individual
More open-minded
All cultures are relative
Relative morality depends on the case … more after the jump
Uncertain purpose
Education is of instrumental value
Drugs are pervasive, but maybe getting boring
Settling down is for later
Relationships are often amorphous
Hooking up is common
Devastating breakups happen
Cohabit to avoid divorce
Strategically managing risks
Consumerism is good stuff
Helping others is an optional personal choice
Middle-class dream is alive and well
Still believe in America’s freedoms
Volunteering and giving someday, maybe
Don’t expect to change the world
Submerge in interpersonal relationships
It’s too easy to fall back into old ways
Less typical themes:
Struggling to be optimistic
Overcoming major obstacles
Ongoing problems
Rights and wrongs are objectively real
Babies change everything
Risks are best avoided altogether
I’ve got a major addiction
We’re responsible for each other
America has major problems
We can change the world
Read Previous Post
