Adulthood is not a Broadway show where the curtain suddenly rises and the show begins. The idea of successfully transitioning into adulthood is not something that is automatically handed out as individuals leave their teen age years behind. In fact, a growing number of educators and career theorists are calling attention to the growing problem that young adults are having accepting the responsibilities of an adult world.

At one time the idea of leaving secondary school and going on to more study or the world of work was easier to navigate. Today, this is not the case. There are many secondary school grads who reach a huge road block transitioning into adulthood.

For some, the personal responsibilities that come with increased freedom are hard for them to manage. They are simply overwhelmed with simple responsibilities such as taking ownership for attending classes, finishing essays on time, and engaging in the critical thinking required in the adult world of a post-secondary campus.

As pointed out by Mel Levine, in his book Ready or Not Here Life Comes, adolescents have become unplugged from the adult world. Potent forces in our society distance many adolescents from adults, encouraging kids to select each others as role models in place of adults. This view is supported by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi when he says that role models outside of the home are in short supply as teenagers prepare for the world of work. He also adds that the pendulum has swung away from instrumental models involved in productive activity to expressive models admired for their entertainment value. Does the name Paris Hilton come to mind?

Technology has also played a role in removing young people further away from the adult world. Teens are immersed in a wired world for communicating, researching and playing. Parents may only be a call away, but technology such as the internet has made it easier for young people to be connected to each other and as a result their peer group or mentors are often void of an adult influence.

So, how does a young person get a sense of the adult world? This situation is not as complicated as you might expect. Following are a few practical suggestions (directly and indirectly taken from Levine's work) about forming meaningful connections to adults who are not teachers or close relatives. Young people can connect to the adult world by:

• Getting their parents to share stories about grown-up life and their adult friends on a regular basis.
• Exploring with their parents the places and people they encounter. (For instance, family vacations to different cities or countries opens opportunities to discuss what life may be like for people working in a variety of settings)
• Finding opportunities to socialize with adults (i.e. when parents have company create and opportunity for young people to stay and have a brief chat. (Kids find it interesting to learn how different these people are than their parents. They hear different stories about their jobs, travels or day-to-day lives)
• Encourage youth to become students of adulthood. Young people should be encouraged to engage in discussions with extended family, neighbours, friends, and other trusted people in the community.

The adult world is a vast place to transition into. For some people whose view of adults is limited by authority figures (e.g.-teachers, parents) it may be a world that offers little interest to them. However, others who look beyond this world will discover a tremendous difference in how adults approach their personal lives and careers. It is this understanding that may just unlock the unknown adult world and help youth relate to it so that they believe it is worth entering.

Tagged In: Parents , Transition , Youth