Adultolescence

Adolescence and technology have become immersed into a very overlapping category.  Because of the ability and availability of technology to EVERYONE, children are growing up faster.  Since children are learning more about the world at an earlier age the stage of adolescence and discovery has become lessen and the time frame of 'being' an adult has shortened.  This time between adolescence and adulthood has been termed- adultolescence.  Technology has changed the ways families interact and has made some parents resort to allowing technology educate their children instead of themselves.  This is dangerous and allows children to be exposed to ALL that the internet has to offer at an early age.  Being exposed to so much so early taints with the idea that Rousseau said, "children must be shaped into active and thinking beings."  This age of adolescence, typically dictated by puberty is even occurring on average six years earlier than it did in 1850.  It says, "puberty is not so much a fixed physical state as it is a complex sociological experience".

Despite children growing up faster there is an increase in the age in which people marry.  To be exact the age has increased by 5 years. "The average age at which couples exchange vows is now 25 for women and 27 for men."  Also increased is the age at which women first give birth, this number is now ages 30 and up.  Technology is changing our lives an allowing us to live longer.  This allows for life events like marriage and pregnancy to happen later in life.  This technology also changes family dynamics and can allow from a younger age for children to be open with modern family forms- as the article states, "to remain relevant to the twenty-first century, the economics of the family will need to push beyond the production of children and traditional notions of specialization."