Societal Expectations of Young Adults

Being a young person in today’s age can very challenging. There is so much change going on. Throw in modern technology and it makes it so much harder to escape peer pressure with life at that age.

Growing into a young adult is never easy. It is a time of self-exploration, confusion, instability, and possibilities. There are societal expectations that young adults face that may not blend with who they naturally are as a person. This can be really confusing and can alienate them from their peers. They most likely will get bullied for being different and in more extreme cases victims commit suicide. Some social expectations include:

Education: There is social pressure to be educated. Going to college means you are smart, educated, and have a bright future ahead of you. People may use their education as a way to feel superior to others, thus putting others down for not going to college.

Love and Marriage: There are social expectations for young adults to be in a relationship. If you are not, you’re a loser or uncool. The underlying message is that there is something wrong with you if you are not involved with someone. There also is an expectation in our society and the world to get married. Generation upon generation of parents, family, and friends pressure their loved ones about when they are getting hitched whether they have a significant other or not.

Children: This is another societal expectation that creates a lot stress and pressure on a young adult’s psyche. What if they do not want kids? Especially for women, they are asked quite frequently this question. If they do not want children, they are seen as weird, selfish, broken, etc. It really is a personal choice and a huge one at that! Some people just do not want kids and that is okay. It is a lifelong commitment that can’t be taken back.

Money: In society having money speaks volumes. You’re able to buy all the newest cool gadgets and toys. Having a fancy and expensive car doesn’t hurt. Now when you don’t have money and are poor, rich people can treat you like you’re less of a person. Kids beg their parents to buy them the latest cool smartphone because all their other friends have one. Not everyone can afford things like that. Society has to become more excepting of people different from themselves.

*Originally posted on CatharineToso.net