Prolonged adolescence

However, these once-key milestones are now often being delayed by years, leaving teenagers and young adults in a perpetual state of adolescence. 

In 1994, more than 40% of 16-year-olds had a driver’s license, according to Bankrate. As of 2022, less than 25% of 16-year-olds had a driver’s license. A license is more than an abstract milestone — the ability to drive has infinite practical benefits, allowing teenagers to work a part-time job, transport themselves and develop independence.

Similarly, only 35% of teenagers in 2025 have ever dated compared to 94% in 1990, according to a study by Psychology Today. While high school relationships certainly have their drawbacks, they can also offer valuable insight into oneself. By understanding one’s flaws and strengths better, relationships often prompt self-discovery and self-improvement. 

One possible explanation for this change is technology. Social media and other online communication features have transformed communication as we know it. Rather than interacting face to face, individuals are able to communicate online, a change that deprives the importance it once held.

While technology’s role in this trend is clear, there’s another, less obvious answer: coddling. Children and teens, once let loose on the streets with little to no supervision, are now virtually tethered to their parents via mobile phones. In the face of any issue or crisis, teenagers are able to contact adults for help and guidance at any time. 

Parenting has taken a more overprotective angle in recent years. Despite the documented decline in crime rates since the 1990s, parents are taking more precautions than ever with their children. A study by the University of Michigan recorded that only around a third of parents would allow their teenage child to walk to a nearby coffee shop on their own. 

Often prompted by good intentions, this strictness makes teenagers more reliant on their parents and, consequently, less equipped to face conflict on their own. Coddled children reportedly suffer from increased anxiety and low self-esteem throughout adulthood.

The implications of this delay don’t stop with teenagers. Lacking these crucial teenage experiences, young adults are falling more and more behind. Adults in their 20s are moving out of their parents’ homes, becoming financially independent, and getting married at substantially lower rates, according to the Consumer News and Business Channel. 

This delay is not inherently negative, especially in adulthood. Taking more time to figure things out can encourage more thoughtful decisions about careers, relationships and self-identity. 

But with these benefits come many drawbacks.

With the delay of these crucial life experiences, we risk teenagers entering the realm of adulthood without the independence and sufficient experience required to succeed.

Becca Koenig is a senior at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton. Student News appears in the weekend edition. You can email Student News at news@smdailyjournal.com.