Katherine Phillips
ENG 110 H6
Elisha Emerson
Writing Prompt 1 Draft
Shifting Standards
Developed countries are becoming more aware of how the younger generations are differing from those which came before, breaking some aspects of the mold set for their age group. The focus, in terms of age, when it comes to this blooming shift, is centered around the 20-Somethings. This age group and generation is altering the mold previously set before them and forming a new one that is more malleable and open to others ideas and wants. Thomas King does a TED Talk on the matter titled, “Adults, we need to talk”, which stresses the importance of this time of change and adaptation, from the perspective of a 20-Something. Comparatively, the author of “What Is It about 20-Somethings?”, Robin Marantz Henig, discusses the topic with a more skeptical view and with a more frame-like description of the term “emerging adulthood”. Looking at both of these texts, society would be affected if the idea of “Emerging Adulthood” becoming a recognized phase of life, leaving newer generations to open how they experience the world, however it may not always change for the better.
Those who are members of the generation in their twenties during the current time are being analyzed by many who come before them, looking for an insight into a shift in culture to hopefully plan for the future and to see how society will accept this era of change into the stages of life. Throughout time, the mold that is laid out for those who are transitioning from childhood to adulthood has become fairly concrete and many people have grown accustomed to those ideas. Some individuals may paint their futures, their aspirations, following this mold because one has been told time and time again, it will lead to a successful, happy life. This idea is challenged by Thomas King in his TED Talk titled “Adults, we need to talk”. King is a 20- something himself who is exposing his audience to a new way of viewing this period in one’s life in terms of what will truly make them happy and what success now means to those who fit under the umbrella of the title “20-something”. King shares some of his own experiences when it comes to how people in his generation are shaping their own lives, and how they find some aspects of the mold set before them to be pointless or useless to the life they wish to live. While addressing his audience, he asks who has ever been sitting in a meeting or class and wondered how pointless it was to be there, he began to see hand after hand shoot up in support of this statement. King questions the cultural narrative when asking “why on earth are we raising the next generation to live the same lives as previous generations?” (King, 1). The idea that people are being raised based on a guideline that was created for a society that is becoming less and less of the reality most are living now, does not seem like the right way to be raising those who are going to dictate where the future goes and how it may get there. Previous molds are becoming out of date; however not invalidated, no longer work for our current society because the context in which we live has changed quite drastically. Two main points King discusses are those of context and purpose. When it comes to the 20-Somethings, they are living in a very different context than those who are analyzing their behaviors and life, and they are also searching for their own purposes in the world. On the hunt for finding a fulfilling life that is not necessarily based on success and money, but one including personal contentment and achievement. Younger generations are searching for a life which is not in the path laid out before them, but one that winds here and there off of the path, a life which has its own meaning to the individual. They may strive for social media success, or maybe “it’s about sticking to discover our passions and live a life that makes us excited to get up each morning”(King), or maybe “it’s about standing up for what we believe in and leaving our mark”King). Through his description of how the lives of those 20-Somethings is shaping the future of our society, Thomas King brings up how the way people are living their lives is changing and what they are pursuing is being altered as well, yet he does not mean this as a bad thing, but something that should be encouraged. He finishes his talk by saying that the generations which come before those of the 20-Somethings, should collaborate in supporting this kind of societal shift and growth, because without it, there may be challenges that will not be overcome.
The period in which 20-Somethings are living can be called “emerging adulthood”, meaning that they are in a limbo between being a child and becoming an adult, in terms of the cultural standards set previously. Robin Marantz Henig discusses what it means to be a part of “emerging adulthood” with the focus on the role in a society, in her text titled “What Is It about 20-Somethings?”. She asks whether or not this phase could be considered an important time for self-discovery, or if it was self-indulgence in the luxuries of the world around an individual. This phase of life is on where those in the younger generation does not start living their own lives as early as some feel they should. Henig mentions an extreme example focusing on “a young man [that] hangs up his Ph.D in his boyhood bedroom”(Henig, 199). This example does get her point across to the reader however; saying that one can be smart and ready to become a self-sustaining adult, yet they choose to live in the comfort that is provided for them, instead of creating a level of comfortability for themselves. As Henig goes on, it becomes clearer that she is not speaking to those who may be in their 20-Somethings, but seemingly more towards those who are raising them and supporting these members of society. Although her tone is generally neutral, she does make some comments that paints this style of life as a negative aspect of society which can hinder the idea of progress. This negative view can be inspired from the idea that Henig is comparing the way of life practiced by 20-Somethings now, to those of the past, and understandably it is possible to see why she may be more negative about the way the younger generations carry themselves. The mold is one that no longer fits in the life which people are living, the times at which certain life events are changing, people are getting married later, starting families later, and some don’t buy houses immediately either, finding it easier to rent or lease. Some may say that this is removing adult responsibilities from their lives, yet other may argue against that saying how important this time is for these individuals in order for them to figure out who they want to be as they change and what goals they want to go after. Henig brings up how “the 20’s are like the stem cell of human development, the pluripotent moment when any of several outcomes is possible” (Henig, 211). She means that the 20’s is when people figure out who they are and when they realize what kind of role they wish to play in the societal world around them. It is a great time for one to find oneself and one’s wants, while also with the support of those around them.
If the idea of “emerging adulthood” were to be recognized as a phase of life, this could be a very important shift in terms of how these people identify themselves in terms of the rest of the world and the cultural society surrounding them. The cultural shifts and the context changes keep the progress in the society, and allows it to change for the better. However, if people are seeking out ways to live their lives with the most meaning they can, this meaning will be different for everyone. This means that there could be large amounts of conflict in terms of what people think is right and what is wrong. If society were to accept this phase as a part of life, it could be very helpful in helping these people find their identity in others and within themselves, yet it can also change how the older generations see the younger, potential leaders.
