Until the past couple of decades, adulthood began at 18. Technically, and in many cases legally, it still is. Before the 1980s, many high school graduates married right away. If they went to college, they married right after graduation. 31 

   Today many young people in their mid-to-late 20s are still living with their parents. 32 Independence meant living in one’s own or in a shared apartment, having a job, owning a car, and getting into relationships. Many college graduates today continue to stay at home, often contributing nothing financially to their upkeep, depending on Mommy and Daddy not only for money but for their washed and ironed clothes, meals, and entertainment. 33 

   Some psychologists, however, think that today’s world is so different from that of the past that young people are more hesitant to strike out on their own. Today’s parents pressure and hover over their children so that kids feel incapable of developing into adults. They spend more time communicating via social media than face-to-face with others. 34 

   Few parents are so bold or uncaring as to toss their kids out of the nest when they reach 18, unless the kids want to leave. What is the solution to this growing problem? Psychologists and educators believe that parents should assume their responsibility to prepare their children for their future. 35 In short, treating children as adults is the surest way for them to grow up.