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November 5, 2004
EMERGING ADULTHOOD
By Tara Regan
The definition of "adulthood" may be changing. Achieving adulthood is not just reaching the threshold age of 18 or 21, according to the latest Time Poll of emerging adults, ages 18-29.
Almost 2 in 5 (39%) of Americans in this age group don't even consider themselves adults yet. Moreover, unlike previous generations, which often rebelled against their parents, these emerging adults embrace their parents.
This Time Poll was conducted by telephone November 1-4, 2004, among a cross-section sample of 601 emerging adults, ages 18-29.
Many Not "Adults" Yet
While a majority (61%) would describe themselves as an adult, almost 2 in 5 (39%) say they are either
just entering adulthood or are not there yet. Even among those over the age of 21, about 1 in 4 (27%),
do not consider themselves adults.
Why don't they consider themselves adults? Among those not considering themselves adults, 35% reveal that they're "just enjoying life the way it is," while 33% say they're not financially independent yet.
Defining Adulthood: Many Markers
What defines "adulthood" for these young adults? Many in this age group say "moving out of a parent's
house" (22%), "having your first child" (22%) and "getting a good job with benefits" (19%). For younger
persons, ages 18-21, the more important factors to adulthood are living on your own (27%), and having a
good job (26%). For those in their mid-to-late twenties (26-29) having your first child (29%) becomes
the stamp of adulthood.
Embracing Parents
Rather than rebelling against their baby-boomer parents, who were implored not to trust anyone over the
age of 30, these emerging adults embrace their parents. Family ties remain strong.
- About one-quarter (25%) of 18-29 year olds live with one or more parents or grandparents.
- Almost three-quarters (71%) speak with their parents at least once a week. About half (48%), speak to their parents on a daily basis.
- About two-in-five say that their parents still have a great deal of influence on their life, while only 25% say their parents have not much or no influence at all.
Moreover, only half (51%) report that they are fully financially independent of their parents or relatives.
Education: Many Still Paying Off Debts
Although attending college may not have been an option for their grandparents or even parents, a little
more than half (58%), of young adults over the age of 21 have attended some college and about one-third
(31%) have graduated from a four year college or gone on to do post-graduate work. More women (58%) than
men (45%) of this generation have attended/are attending at least some college. Two-in-five (40%) over
the age of 21 have a high school education or less.
The average amount of time spent at college for this generation is four years, but almost 1 in 3 (31%) spent more than 4 years in college. Most young adults financed college through commercial loans (45%), scholarship (33%), personal savings (22%) and gift from parents/family (22%).
Many are still struggling to pay off college debt. Among those who attended college:
- About half (52%) are in debt when they leave college, with an average debt of about $25,000.
- A majority (54%) report having paid off only some or none of their debt so far. Even among those in their late twenties (26-29), only about two in five (40%) report having paid off all or most of their college debts.
Job vs. Career: Just Jobs for Many
Many young adults have not settled on their career path yet. Most (55%), would describe their current
work as "more a job" than "a career" (44%). Less than a quarter (22%), of young adults feel that they
have achieved the goal of having the job or career they want. Achievement of this goal only increases
to about one-third (35%) in the late twenties (26-29) for most.
More than half (57%), of young adults have had at least two or more different jobs in the last three years. Among those who are 21 years of age or older, a vast majority (88%) have had 2 or more different jobs since the age of 20 years old.
- A large majority (75%) are employed and work at least 40 hours a week (65%).
- Only about half (54%) have employer paid health benefits with their job - a marker for a real career-oriented job.
- About three-quarters (78%), believe that their formal schooling prepared them to be successful in the work place.
Not too unlike their parents perhaps, what is most essential to job satisfaction for this generation is job security (71%), health benefits (63%) and having interesting work to do (60%)
Challenge of Making Ends Meet
Many of these young adults are challenged to make ends meet. Their major financial concerns for this
generation are just paying their bills, (43%), followed by salary and employment issues (36%), health
care costs (32%), housing (32%) and college debts (29%). Among those over age 21, 46% are concerned about
making ends meet.
Only half (51%) of these young adults report being fully independent of their parents or relatives. Another 15% say that they are "most of the way" there. A little less than a third (20%) are just getting started or just some of the way there (12%).
When it comes to supporting others, such as a spouse or children, only about one-third (37%) of those 25 or younger say they have come near to achieving this goal. About half (51%) of 18-29 year olds say they are close too or have achieved the goal of being able to support a family.
Young adults report spending most of their money on dining out (66%), a trend that seems to increase, not decrease with age. A little under two-thirds (62%), of 18-21 year olds, report spending "a lot or some" on dining out. This increases to 68% among those in their late twenties.
Young adults and Spending
These young adults report spending "a lot more"compared to most people on:
- Dining out (32%)
- Clothing (26%)
- Going to/renting movies (17%)
- Computers and related equipment (12%)
- Travel/vacations (11%)
- Ipod/DVDs (10%)
- Video games (10%)
- Clubs/Live entertainment (8%)
- Sporting events (6%)
Living Arrangements
Young adults of this generation are about as transient in their living situations as they are in their
careers. A majority (53%), rent where they currently live and most have had about three different
addresses in the last five years.
Only about one-in-ten either live alone (12%) or live with roommates (13%) they are not romantically involved with. A vast majority live with either family (25%), or a spouse/significant other (54%).
Young adults believe that their living standards have improved compared to their parents' generation. Almost two-thirds (64%) say that their standard of living now is much better or somewhat better compared to when their parents were their age.
Relationships and Family
Young adults of the millennium may be even more traditional than their parents in terms of relationships.
Many of these young adults are "traditional" when it comes to marriage and family.
- About two-thirds (62%) are married or live as married with a steady partner.
- A little more than half (53%) age 25 or under are married or live as married.
- More than half (54%) say that they have achieved the goal of having a lasting relationship with a partner.
- One-third (30%) say that they have only just started or are some of the way there.
Young adults were born to baby boomer parents who are defined by their social consciousness and thirst for change. Do these young adults share in their parents' interest in the world around them? Less than half (43%) regularly follow politics and government, even though this poll was conducted election week 2004. In other areas, 32% regularly follow sports, 18% follow business and money, and 17% following celebrities and entertainment.
TV Still Top News Source
Even in the internet age, a majority of young adults report getting most of their news about politics
and current events through television (65%) compared to the internet (21%). The most common TV vehicles
for receiving news on current events are local TV news shows (31%), network TV news shows (31%) and cable
news channels (30%).
Methodology
This Time Magazine poll was conducted by telephone November 1-4, 2004 among a random sample of
601 persons, age 18-29 throughout America. The sample was generated mainly from persons 18-29 who
were interviewed in past Time Polls.
The margin of error for the entire sample is approximately +/-4 percentage points. The margin of
error is higher for subgroups. Surveys are subject to other error sources as well, including sampling
coverage error, recording error, and respondent error.
Schulman, Ronca, & Bucuvalas (SRBI) Public Affairs designed the survey and conducted all interviewing.
The full Time questionnaire and trend data may be found at: www.srbi.com.
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