Escaping the Endless Adolescence

November 23, 2009
Psychologists Allen and Allen begin their important and far-reaching work by asking when 25 became the new 15. Why, in other words, are more and more young people unable to launch successfully into adulthood, returning home after college and becoming known as the "boomerang generation"? In the past, adolescent shenanigans have been viewed as par for the course; teenagers, victims of their own hormones. Recently, the concept of the adolescent brain has taken center stage, with behavioral problems attributed to brain immaturity in areas that regulate impulse and emotion. The authors, while conceding legitimacy to both theories, take the issue one step further, examining why-brains and hormones aside-other cultures do not share similar extremes of the American experience of adolescence. They persuasively argue for a greater role for adolescents in adult society, one with more responsibility and exposure to adulthood. An outstanding contribution to the literature.-Julianne J. Smith, Ypsilanti Dist. Lib., MI

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.