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In the News
Articles from 2007
"Mils" in the workplace: Re-defining 20-something (December
17, 2007)
The Millennial Generation is almost certainly going to be a great Career
Generation. But probably later in life than when prior generations began
to make their marks on the American workplace.
An epochal moment has arrived in American life. Millennials are redefining - surely permanently - what it is like to live life in one's twenties. read more
A challenge for churches: Adulthood takes its time (December 8, 2007)
At some point during the 20th century, the United States invented adolescence.
Where once there had merely been youth, there were now teenagers, with
their own dress, music, magazines, books, economy, culture and expected
patterns of behavior. It was enough to get organized religion, in the
words of the bard, "all shook up."
Now, says a leading sociologist of religion, a similarly "distinct
and important stage in life, situated between the teenage years and full-fledged
adulthood, has emerged." It is "reshaping the meaning of self,
youth, relationships and life commitments"- and religious leaders
had better pay attention. read more
Twelfth-graders prepare for the real world (December 10, 2007)
Morgan Harper, 17, was pleased to see her scores matched up with essential
skills needed to be a nurse, one of her possible career choices, she said.
It wasn't too long ago that Harper thought she wanted to go into law,
but goals shift as you learn and grow during high school, she said.
As they prepare to leave high school, 18-year-olds are entering a phase of life that scholar Jeffrey Jensen Arnett refers to as "emerging adulthood." While they feel increasingly independent and able to make decisions for themselves, students remain tied to their parents and families. read more
Minnesota college crowd's health falls short of an A (November 14, 2007)
A groundbreaking survey of nearly 10,000 Minnesota college students for
the first time paints a detailed picture of their health -- delving far
beyond the usual questions on drinking, smoking and sex.
More than one-fourth have had a mental health problem diagnosed, primarily depression and anxiety, the University of Minnesota will report today when it releases results of a survey of students at 14 Minnesota campuses. One in five women said they had been sexually assaulted at some point in their lives, an event that's linked to high rates of depression and poor academic performance. read more
Now it's official: 30 really is the new 20 (November 15, 2007)
BAD news for parents everywhere - 30 is the new 20.
Children are now staying at home longer, with dependency on parents stretching
well in the 20s.
US psychologist Prof Jeffrey Jensen Arnett told an audience at Trinity College last night that the extended period of dependency has been dubbed "emerging adulthood". read more
Helicopter parents: Too close for comfort? (October 18, 2007)
College is one of those "big moments" in a person's life where
everything seems to change. We ditch backpacks for messenger bags, swap
a cozy room just outside of Boston for a cramped cinder block barrack
and leave our parents for a stranger who may turn out to be our best friend
or our worst nightmare. This last transition is often the most difficult.
Leaving the home is one of the most successful themes explored in the
modern narrative, and any family living with one of its members in college
knows why this separation creates great drama. The child changes and the
parents remain the same (or vice versa), and someone feels cheated. read more
Teenage dreams turn into adult nightmares (October 29, 2007)
Parents are increasingly finding themselves making life-changing decisions to give their children any chance of avoiding financial disaster in early adulthood.
And these parents could face a bleak financial future as their children try to make the transition to adult life, according to the first annual Coming of Wage Report. The report found that there has been a massive societal shift in the cost of becoming an adult today and that parents, in particular, are being hit by this change. read more
Going slow on growing up (October 21, 2007)
Search for ‘the Odyssey years’ on the internet and you get tens of thousands of results. The 1,000 most recent search results refer to NYT columnist David Brooks’ piece on the subject (that was carried in last week’s Sunday Times). ‘‘The odyssey is the decade of wandering that frequently occurs between adolescence and adulthood. During this decade, 20-somethings go to school and take breaks from school. They live with friends and they live at home. They fall in and out of love. They try one career and then try another,’’ writes Brook. read more
Getting a life: The challenge of emerging adulthood (October, 2007)
There is a new and important stage in life in American culture, and it is not entirely clear that the Christian church understands or particularly knows what to do with it. I am talking about what scholars call "emerging adulthood." This is the time of life between ages 18 and 30, roughly, a phase which in recent decades has morphed into quite a new experience for many. Researchers in sociology, psychology, and human development have been investigating the contours of this new life stage and have recently published some fascinating books on the subject, whose findings are well worth pondering for their implications for church and culture. read more
Life-Skill based education for youth prerequisite to harness youth potential in Pakistan (October 15, 2007)
The speakers at a Forum have emphasized on Life Skill based education LSBE for youth declaring it prerequisite for harnessing youth potential in Pakistan.
The 2-day Life Skill Based Education: National Learning Forum, concluded last evening at a local hotel in Karachi, was attended by 25 major organizations including NGOs, UN agencies, media and Government. read more
YMCA helping foster kids: Youth learn how to become successful adults
(October 17, 2007)
Maleah Truelove can relate to the 40 kids in foster care who gathered on Tuesday to learn about their options for the future. She used to be one of them.
Truelove, a 911 operator, spoke to the group of teens at the inaugural Hall County Foster Children’s Independent Living Conference at the J.A. Walters branch of the YMCA. Organizers of the event said it is the first of its kind in the state. The program is available to teens ages 14-18 who are in foster care, and aims to help them be as well prepared for adulthood as possible. read more