Mag Jay on why 30 is not a new 20

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

In her TED talk, psychologist Meg Jay talks about why she believes young adults in their late twenties shouldn't be wasting their precious time.

I love working with people in their 20s. They are like planes at the Los Angeles airport, ready to fly somewhere west. Immediately after takeoff, small course changes may take you to either Alaska or Fiji.

Do you know a term like kidult? This is the name given to adults who remain children forever. And it's not about forgetting childhood, belief in miracles and all the tomfoolery. Rather, it is about unwillingness to grow up and make serious decisions.

Now people live longer, get married later, have children later. Most people under 30 are busy looking for themselves and enjoying life. And then, suddenly, it turns out that they urgently need to cram a career, family, children and self-realization into the interval between 30 and 40 years. At 35, people suddenly realize that they cannot have children or give a brother or sister to their child, that they have not realized themselves personally … that they cannot even choose a person for themselves. To some, this will seem ridiculous. Like, so what? I don't need family and affection! I am a citizen of the world! Now there are no barriers and opportunities are the same for everyone. Everything is available! But no one can say what you will think in a year and whether you will regret the lost opportunities. And even if you are not interested in family, think about your life in general.