Creativity in the Emerging Adult

Jeffery J. Arnett’s Emerging Adulthood

Emerging Adulthood describes the period of time between ages 18 to 25. The notion of Emerging Adulthood is especially popular in Western cultures, since this period of development bridges the gap between dependent teenagers and independent adults (Arnett, 2006). College-aged students typically fall into this category since they are in the in-between state where they are endeavoring to become independent but are not fully financially independent nor fully settled in life. Western cultures and societies contend that it might be easier for individuals at this stage of life to slowly ease into assuming the role of adults, rather than springing immediately from childhood to adulthood, as they had done in the traditional past (Arnett, 2006).

This view of emerging adulthood primarily focuses on young adults in college (Arnett, 2006). Some college students move to different places and are fully separated from their parents, which forces them to accept adulthood and conduct daily chores independently. However, there are also a number of college students who may attend school but who do not live independently and are still reliant on their parents. An individual in this situation may feel stuck in between childhood and adulthood (Arnett, 2006).