Adulthood is also tied with marriage, home ownership, car ownership, child-rearing, etc... these things have been pushed back a decade or so as a result of too little money.<p>By the standards of the 1950s, the 20-somethings of today aren&#x27;t adults. That has sociological twists to it as well, of course-- but primarily economic. I suspect that people aren&#x27;t actively avoiding having a house, car, wedding, or children, so much as adjusting their wants to be more in line with what is realistic-- choosing one or half of one of the above listed items.