The second installment of the book notes about “Twenty Something: Why Do Young Adults Seem Stuck?” focuses on children, the brain and body, friendships and parents. Read part 1 here. And read author Robin Marantz Henig’s controversial New York Times Magazine piece about 20-somethings here.

Baby Carriage

-Millennial women don’t seem too worried about their biological clock. A survey of 1,000 women between the ages of 24 and 35 who talked to their doctors about getting pregnant found that many had a low IQ when it came to fertility knowledge. For instance, most of the women surveyed thought the chance of a 30-year-old woman trying to conceive getting pregnant at any time was about 70 percent, and that the chance for a 40-year-old woman was nearly 60 percent. In reality, the chances are about 20 percent at age 30 and 5 percent at age 40.

-One of the main similarities between Baby Boomers and the Millennial generation is that money is still a major factor in the decision to have kids. The difference today, though, is that women tend to contribute to the family income more than ever before. So quitting work or cutting back to take care of a child will be even more consequential.

-Women with advanced degrees who waited to get pregnant until age 35 had annual salaries $50,000 higher than those who had a child at age 20, according to an analysis of Census data.

-And let’s not put women at the center of all of these important decisions. Men can also encounter age-related problems. Studies show that men over age 40 increase the chances their children will have a variety of problems, including childhood cancer, schizophrenia and autism.

Brain and Body

-Some studies say the best way to retain information is to write it out. In one study, a researcher had students transcribe a passage by writing it out in cursive, by writing it out using print or by typing it. The group who wrote the passage out in cursive remembered the passage better when they tried to recall it a week later. I can’t remember the last time I wrote anything outside of my name in cursive, but I may start trying.

-Olive Robinson, a psychologist at Greenwich University, says there are four stages to the quarterlife crisis. Stage 1 is the locked-in stage. It’s when you feel stuck and like you are living someone else’s life. Stage 2 is the traumatic separation, which can leave you feeling lost and confused. The third stage is the chaotic period. That’s when all the options are before you again and you feel like you may be backtracking. The final stage is the resolution, when you experience committing to a new partner or career and a better sense of self.

Friendships in Real Life

-The friends we make in our 20s are the first group of friends we chose completely on our own. Our friends become our friends based on decisions we make on our own — where we go to college, where we live after college, what job we do and what activities we participate in — and not our parents.

-One woman made it her New Year’s resolution to meet all 325 of her Facebook friends in real life. By the end, she traveled to 51 cities in 12 countries and still only met up with 292 of them. I actually saw a 20-something guy on the “Today” show the other day who is attempting to do this too. I think he’s giving himself three years to meet all 700-something of his Facebook friends. I do like this challenge. I sometimes have to remind myself how I even know one of my so-called friends on Facebook. “Oh yeah, I said hello to them during freshman orientation.”

-A number of studies have shown that social media sites like Facebook attract narcissists. This is not that surprising. I think Instagram takes it to another level. Sadly, I do think I’ve become more narcissistic in the nine years I’ve used social media. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. As Samanthan Henig pointed out, if success is tied to likes, followers and retweets (and in my career field they are), it’s no wonder you want to spend a lot of time thinking about how you’re portraying yourself.

-Those same social media sites that are connecting us to tons of new people and making us more narcissistic are also making us bad friends because we have FOMO (fear of missing out). With everything posted online for everyone to see, 20-somethings are always on the prowl for the next better thing.

-According to anthropologist Robin Dunbar of Oxford University, the maximum number of friends any person can really have is 150. Anything more and it’s too hard to keep track of everyone.

Parents as Co-Adults

-Millennials still living at home may be called slackers by their Baby Boomer parents. But, in fact, they aren’t that different than their Baby Boomer parents’ parents. Twenty-somethings often remained at home in the 1930s and 1940s to help with the farm.

The Henigs ended the book by giving a sampling of responses to the question “How will you know when you’re an adult?” Below are some of my favorites because they are a testament to how confusing this time period can be:

“I can no longer find a significant difference between myself and other people that I consider to be adults. So, I guess it’s time to call it what it is.” From a 32-year-old female.

“I am not sure. I definitely have some adult responsibilities. Also, I have a beard.” From a 25-year-old male.

“I have this idea that buying a new couch will make me feel like an adult. I still have an old hand-me-down. But as soon as I do that I’ll probably come up with a different benchmark.” A 29-year-old female.

“I see nothing wrong with staying in on a Saturday night. This makes me feel like an adult.” From a 28-year-old male.

—

How do you know you’re an adult? Do you? Did you learn anything new or you thought was interesting?

More Articles To Read:

3 Reasons Why Women Get Name Tattoos

Why Does Taking Pictures Always Fall on the Woman in the Relationship?

Being a Good Wife Is Not Part of My “Job”

Alpha Males: Are You a Better Man Than He Is?

How To Reboot Your Relationship

Is Social Media Breaking Up Relationships?

Finding Love: Do You Look For It Or Does Love Find You?

5 Reasons Being a Bridesmaid Rocks

3 Signs You Should Let Go of the Man You’re Getting to Know

Why I Stopped Using the Silent Treatment Against My Husband

Never Yell at Your Husband Again: One Woman’s Amazing Marriage Secrets

5 Signs You May Be Self-Sabotaging Your Relationship

6 Date Ideas for the Eco-Friendly Couple

Is He “The One”? 3 Ways to Know If It’s Right

5 Signs You're Turning into a Bridezilla

5 Important Responsibilities of Every Bridesmaid