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Horton | Week 6 lookback

Chapters 9 & 10 strays away from adolescence and into adulthood. In our reading, we see a persons physical changes making way for social and cultural transitions. During emerging adulthood, young adults 18-25 are engaging in experimentation and exploration as they attempt to form and navigate life paths on their own. Here, a person is not only able to reproduce, but they realize that they are responsible for their own lives and are able to take on adult responsibilities. Further, young adults are able to use the life experience gained throughout adolescence pertaining to personal interest building, problem solving strategies, and perspective development. In this phase, lifestyle changes such as diet, fitness, and substance use majorly affects cognitive development as well as into the other phases of life. 

As technology advances and emphasis on the media and pop culture increases, I believe that the transition from adolescence to adulthood is getting harder and harder. Adolescents face so much pressure today including getting into college, deciding on a career, fitting in with peers, and finding their place in society. These pressures and technological improvements make entry into adulthood more of a competition than a natural experience. I can remember in high school feeling stressed out competing with the other kids for high grade point averages, ACT scores, class rankings, social standings, and monthly earnings. 


Chapter 10’s reading fades into the middle adulthood phase. During middle adulthood, healthcare concerns become more prominent. This is the phase of life where health conditions develop and one must take precautions to prolong and ensure a better quality of life. I’m seeing this more and more in my mom. Lately, she has been obsessed with “getting her steps in”. She closely monitors how much she moves on her watch and will even walk in circles around her house to reach a daily goal. In relation to the text, she has also joined weight watchers and cut out alcohol consumption. Additionally, sensory abilities are beginning to decline. My dad is always saying something like “my hearing isn’t what it used to be.“ Moreover, LIFESMART suggests that during middle adulthood our intelligence evolves analytically, creatively, and practically. Here, we see a change in adolescent priorities. We are now prioritizing productivity in society, stability in the workforce, personality patterns, marriage and family, and financial prosperity. 

Comments

  1. Miles O'BrienOctober 3, 2018 at 12:17 PM

    Thomas, I thought your post was very insightful and covered the chapters well roundelay. I relate to stresses that change in our life. Im going through a transitional point in my life where stresses are evolving and changing. The TED talk was very informative on stress and how to coop with it. I can understand your perspective on how priorities are changing and throughout these stages we develop more socially and intellectually. I also agree with your perspective on the transitioning from adolescences into adulthood. Very interesting take that I agree with

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  2. UnknownOctober 3, 2018 at 9:16 PM

    Thomas,
    I love how you highlight the increased pressure put on the youth of today, especially how you called it less of a natural experience and more of a competition. With the technological platforms people have today to portray whatever lifestyle they so choose, social media has added even more unnecessary pressure in the form of false identities. Each child or young adult scrolls though Facebook and sees purely the ups of everybody's life. This allows them to conclude that everybody on Facebook has a happier, more illustrious life than they have, because that is all their eye sees. Unfortunately, Facebook and other social media platforms add even more pressure on the minds of tomorrow with the false belief that they must be unhappy. Great post!

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  3. Cindy WagnerOctober 3, 2018 at 10:44 PM

    I enjoyed your perspective on this week's readings. While I understand your point about today's adolescents, I didn't necessarily agree. I think they are more influenced about superficial things through social media. The students I know are still concerned about grades, rankings, competitive edge. They just have the added complexity of social media and having access to more information (true or false) at their fingertips.

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