Adultescents

The so-called ‘Peter Pan generation’; a sizeable group of 25 to 40+ year-olds who exist in a state of extended adolescence, avoiding the trappings of responsibility — marriage, mortgage, children — for as long as possible is on the rise around the world.

Marie Giral, a French expat living in Russia who has written a book on the subject: Les Adulescents, discusses ‘adultescents’ and the reasons behind this phenomenon. The most apparent reasons is the creation of a powerful separate identity by youth in the 1960s, which rejected the ‘establishment’ and all that this means. Yet many previous ‘alternatives’ are now in industry and even political leaders. So will today’s ‘Kidult’s conform? Perhaps not, if we are talking about a wider breakdown of traditional cultural and civilizational patterns? Perhaps it is we, the ‘establishment’ that needs to change? Perhaps the problem needs to be looked at in a localised manner? Join the discussion by listening to our programme.