Emerging adulthood and early adulthood

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Emerging adulthood, early adulthood, or post-adolescence refers to a phase of the life span between late adolescence and early adulthood, as initially proposed by Jeffrey Arnett in a 2000 article from the American Psychologist.^[1][2] It primarily describes people living in developed countries, but it is also experienced by young adults in wealthy urban families in the Global South.^[3] The term describes young adults who do not have children, do not live in their own homes, and/or do not have sufficient income to become fully independent. Arnett suggests emerging adulthood is the distinct period between 20 and 29 years^[4] of age where young adults become more independent and explore various life possibilities.

Arnett argues that this developmental period can be isolated from adolescence and young adulthood,^[5] although the distinction between adolescence and young adulthood has remained largely unclear over the last several decades.^[2]

Emerging adulthood's state as a new demographic is continuously changing, although some^[6] believe that twenty-somethings have always struggled with "identity exploration, instability, self-focus, and feeling in-between."^[7] Arnett referred to emerging adulthood as a "roleless role" because emerging adults engage in a wide variety of activities without the constraint of any "role requirements".^[2] The developmental theory is highly controversial within the developmental field, and developmental psychologists argue over the legitimacy of Arnett's theories and methods.^[8][9]

Arnett would go on to serve as the executive director of the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood, a society dedicated to research on emerging adulthood.^[10]