This morning I received a package of miscellaneous things from my mom (oh, if only you could see the wonderfully random things she sends my way). And in the package with a torn out article from the Wall Street Journal with a sticky note attached “Interesting article, Mom.”
At first glance I thought it was an article on internet dating. And I was not happy. Not happy at all. (Moms, never send your grown daughters articles about internet dating, it’s just not cool.)
But I took another glance and it was actually a very interesting article (yes, Mom is always right) based on a book by Kay Hymowitz Manning Up: How the Rise of Women Has Turned Men into Boys on how many men in their 20s are living an extended adolescence.
Not so long ago, the average American man in his 20s had achieved most of the milestones of adulthood: a high-school diploma, financial independence, marriage and children. Today, most men in their 20s hang out in a novel sort of limbo, a hybrid state of semi-hormonal adolescence and responsible self-reliance. This “pre-adulthood” has much to recommend it, especially for the college-educated. But it’s time to state what has become obvious to legions of frustrated young women: It doesn’t bring out the best in men.
Here’s a link to the whole article.
I’d love to hear what you think about it. How has your experience validated or refuted Hymowitz’s theory? Just please, be nice or your comment will vanish into the unknown. 🙂
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.