Becoming Adult

How young people are making it in today's world.

Jennifer L. Tanner Ph.D.

Girls on HBO Is About More Than Sex

Girls is a trip into the psyches of young people hovering around their 20s.

Was Casey Anthony an "Adult?" I Wish Someone Would Have Asked

Casey Anthony

Casey Anthony Is Normal, That's the Problem

Casey Anthony was normal. She was acting just like a 22-year-old.

Child abuse induced suicide: What helps people write different endings?

Bill Zeller died of suicide at age 27, due to abuse he suffered during childhood. But what helps people write different endings? In this guest post, Emily Rosenbaum, PhD writes about the stories of child abuse.

Suicide at Age 27: Death due to child abuse

Statistically, Bill Zeller's death will count as ‘1' in the 18- to 29-year-old column for deaths due to suicide. The CDC reports such fatal injury data by cause of death. But no government agency is responsible for correcting the CDC's counts of suicide when the cause of death occurred long before the suicide. And maybe there should be.

Bill Zeller, age 27, suicide

Bill Zeller's suicide note reveals decades of persistent pain

Definition of a successful adult: Part I

This one goes out to you: What does it mean to be a successful adult?

Understanding 20-somethings is different from knowing a 20-something

Understanding St. Elmo's Fire is different from understanding Kirby, Billy, Kevin, Jules, Alec, Leslie or Wendy.

At weddings, ask twentysomethings--how is life going?

Well-meaning grown-up types are advised not to ask twentysomethings...what are you doing, rather, how is life going?

Congratulations graduate, you're a "dependent" now!

 Being labeled a "dependent" may not feel good to emerging adults. Alternatively, it may feel right; given that 80% of college graduates move back home after graduation, are emerging adults best understood as dependents? What issues does "being a dependent" raise for emerging adults? Their parents? Society?  

Who Is an "Adult?"

Exploring the paths that 18- to 29-year-olds take from adolescence into adulthood.