These are the days of speed. The emphasis is on fast or instant. We have DSL, fast-food restaurants, cell phones, jet speed travel etc. Fast means keeping up everywhere; on the job, in the social life. The pressure is on. Even children are harried. There was a recent TV program on teens burning out in high school.
There are high-tech war instruments, not to mention chemical warfare threats. Terrorists are everywhere and the memory of 9/11 is still fresh. Crime is up and natural disasters seem to be increasing in volume and severity. In addition we seem to be using up our natural resources at an alarming rate.
People are living longer, but aging faster mentally. A fourteen year old is exposed to much more adult information than in the past. All this, and we wonder why young adults, especially young adult professionals, are having quarter-life crises?
I believe that emotional life is moving at the same rate as the world is moving. That means that mid-life crises are happening sooner. The young adult professionals are the group of people most exposed to the fast, compressed life-style. They are the ones most likely to have more education, work with modern communication equipment and have job pressures and deadlines that are more demanding.
Add the above mentioned pressure to the fact that the 20’s has always been the time of "getting started" in business, in marriage and family and in life style. This is a time of major decisions that a person knows will affect not only the rest of his life, but could even impact on his community. No wonder these young people are in crisis. The sad fact is that there are no longer a high number of good role models or mentors to help during these tough times. Their parents a probably divorced and still at war with each other. The churches seem ineffective at dealing with emotional, sometimes even spiritual needs. Few believe what politicians say anymore. Even our heroes appear to have clay feet, especially as the media loves to expose their weak spots.
Yes, there are many reasons for this latest trend. Fortunately, age-related crises are usually taken care of with time. If the crisis is serious and affected life severely, there is counseling and medical help available.
