What if I told you that we might be rushing into adulthood a bit too fast? In today’s chat, we dive into some fascinating research from Cambridge suggesting that our brains actually stay in that adolescent phase until around age 32! Yep, you heard that right—32! So, while we eagerly hand 18-year-olds student loans and expect them to vote like seasoned pros, maybe we should hit pause and rethink what “being an adult” really means. I mean, let’s face it, we’ve all had our fair share of questionable decisions in our younger years, right? Join me as we explore this wild idea and consider whether we’re really doing it all wrong when it comes to growing up. What do you think? Let’s chat about it! Signing up for student loans and voting for president at 18—sounds like a rite of passage, right? But hold on to your hats, folks, because we’re diving deep into what ‘adulthood’ really means. James A. Brown kicks us off by questioning the very notion of when we truly become adults. He brings in some intriguing research from Cambridge that suggests our brains are still stuck in the teenage phase until we hit about 32! Yep, you heard that right! This isn’t just your average ‘you’re not a real adult until you’ve paid off your student loans’ kind of talk; we’re getting into some serious brain science here. James engages us with a playful tone, sharing his own experiences of making good and bad decisions as a young adult, and he prompts us to think: Are we too quick to throw the ‘adult’ label on teenagers? As we groove through this episode, James encourages us to consider the implications of pushing these young folks into adult responsibilities before their brains are fully wired for it. It’s not just about making decisions; it’s about the consequences that come with them! He challenges the conventional wisdom that we become adults simply because we reach a certain age. Instead, he suggests that we might need to rethink how we define adulthood and what responsibilities we expect from those who are still navigating the wild waters of adolescence. It’s a thought-provoking and fun ride through the complexities of growing up, wrapped in humor and relatable anecdotes. So, sit back, relax, and let’s explore what it really means to ‘act like an adult’—spoiler alert, it might not be what you think!

Takeaways:

1. We often ask 18-year-olds to make significant decisions like signing student loans, which is a big deal!
2. Research suggests that our brains remain in an adolescent phase until around age 32 - mind blown!
3. It's a bit wild to think that adulthood might not be what we always believed it to be, right?
4. We should definitely consider the consequences of pushing young adults into responsibilities too soon.
5. Making good and bad decisions is part of life, but timing matters more than we think!
6. Maybe we need to rethink what it means to be an adult in modern society.

Links referenced in this episode:

1. jamesabrown.net