Adultesence: Leaving Home Ain't What It Used to Be
Psychotherapy Networker - March 2005
Linda Gordon

These days, the journey to adulthood is often more circuitous than it was in previous generations. The markers of adulthood that were once self-evident-- getting married, having children, finding a job that might last a lifetime, becoming economically independent, and owning your own home--- are more elusive and harder for many young adults to achieve. The average age for first marriages is now closer to 30 than to 20, and many young adults delay having their own children until they're in their mid-thirties. Satisfying, career-track jobs are also more difficult to find, and changing jobs is more common. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average person now holds 9.2 jobs between ages 18 and 34.

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