Reading Response: “Grow Up? Not So Fast” by Lev Grossman

Reading Response: “Grow Up? Not So Fast” by Lev Grossman

1) Yes, I know a couple of full grown men and women who still live at home with their parents. They are full grown but still act as if their teenagers and change jobs constantly. They seem like their having the time of their life and don’t see the problem of still living with their parents.

2) Yes, I do think our current culture trains young people to fear becoming an adult. Most teens I know couldn’t wait to move out. In reality, when the time came that they could move out their still at home with parents. I think teens understand more about the world and everything its always going to be good. Teens start looking at what they make and how much their going to need to actually live on their own. Therefore, teens going to locally colleges will stay home way past graduation. More of their money will go to wants instead of basic needs that parents now take care of. I think more parents are trying to shelter their children. Crimes are at a high rate and most parents rather have their children living with them than on their own.

3) In our society someone is not a full adult till the age of 21. Being 19 there is still a lot of things I can’t do even though I can live on my own. Some hotels someone has to be 21 in order to stay there. Someone under the age of 21 can’t rent or drive a rental car. How can someone be able to live on their own but not be able to rent a car. I think the age of adulthood should be raised to 21.

4) The article has many reasons for new “twixters.” Lev Grossman states, “Society no longer provides young people with the moral backbone and the financial wherewithal to take their rightful places in the adult world” (141). Parents are holding “twixters” back from reaching their full potential. Another reason from “twixters” Grossman says, “The resulting debt is a major factor in keeping twixters from moving on and growing up” (143). After college it’s easier for “twixters” to stay home with parents to pay off debt faster. These days emerging adults are putting off marriage, Grossman also looks at marriage by saying, “ But if twixters are getting married later, they are missing out on some of the social-support networks that come with having families of their own” (146). Having a family makes emerging adults grow up or maybe there just scared. Grossman states, “Maybe the twixters are in denial about growing up, but the rest of society is equally in denial about the twixters” (147). My own mom has said children grow up so fast. Parents aren’t ready for their children to be off their own.

5) Grossman makes specific points about the value of college. I agree with his views. Twixters go to college so they can be better off when living on their own. The cost of college is rising causing college debt to be at an all-time high. Parents think twixters is making a good decision by coming back home after college to pay off their loans. In reality, parents are hindering their children to become full adults. Some parents shelter their children so much they end up coming back from before they finish their degree.  These twixters has large months of debt without a good paying job. These twixters pretty much had to stay home a couple more years to pay off their debt. When it’s time for twixters to go off on their own they have got used to the help of their parents. Twixters rather stay at home and pay some bills rather than living on their own with everything to pay.

6) No, I don’t like the term “twixters.” Other names like “young adults” or “emerging adults” also have been used in “twixters” place. I like the term “emerging adults” because eventually, they will become full adults. They are adults now but are not fully their.