Gelisim News

“YOUNG ADULTHOOD IS THE PERIOD OF CHOOSING A LIFE STYLE”

Stating that adulthood consists of three main developmental stages, Asst. Prof. Dr. Aman Sado Elemo, a psychologist from Istanbul Gelisim University, said: “These are young adulthood, middle adulthood and final adulthood. Young adulthood is a period of establishing long-term close relationships with other people, choosing and following a lifestyle, choosing a profession, and managing a home and family.”

“YOUNG PEOPLE DISCOVER WHO THEY ARE”

Emphasizing that adolescents have entered a period of development and growth as they prepare for the difficulties of adulthood, Dr. Elemo said: “In these times, young people discover who they are and what they want to do. This is a period of frequent change in aspects that affect their lives: home, family, work, school, resources and roles. All these decisions make changes in young adults' lives that can be a source of stress. That's why, questions such as 'who am I and where am I going' are overwhelming for many young adults.”

“THEY MAY NOT WANT TO BE A HOUSE OWNER”

Stating that previous generations had to do in a certain order to become an adult, Dr. Elemo said: “University graduation, career, marriage, buying a house, having children. For today's young adults, these are no longer predictable. Young adults may marry early or late, or even never, have or may not have children, and may not want to own a house. In addition, there are adults who follow two different paths in areas such as education, employment, marriage, parenting, housing.”

Dr. Elemo concluded as follows:

“The first major group is those who leave early to start their own families and those who invest little in post-secondary education. The second main group is those who invest in their education, job and career development and postpone starting a family. These two pathways differ significantly by gender. Women tend to start a family earlier than men.”