Experts have revised the age range that defines adolescence
Now it lasts from 10 to 24 years. Previously, the threshold was 19 years, BBC reports. The framework shifted for several reasons. Now young people study longer, marry later and have children. In general, experts say that there is a trend towards infantilisation of young people.
What you will learn in the article
- Why experts revised adolescence to last from 10 to 24 years instead of ending at 19
- How longer education, later marriage and later parenthood contributed to shifting age boundaries
- How puberty begins when the hypothalamus activates the pituitary gland and sex glands
- Why improved medicine and nutrition shifted puberty earlier in many developed countries
- How brain maturation, wisdom teeth timing and leaving the parental home support the revised range
Table of Contents
Biologically, puberty begins when the hypothalamus begins to secrete a hormone that activates the pituitary gland and the body’s sex glands. This used to happen before the age of 14, but with medical advances and improved nutrition, the age has shifted to 10 in many developed countries. As a result, for example, in Britain, the first menstruation in 50 per cent of cases starts by the age of 12-13. That’s four years earlier than it was 150 years ago.
Meanwhile, it is known that the brain continues to mature beyond the age of 20 (it starts working faster and more efficiently). And many people’s wisdom teeth don’t come out until they are 35. Statistics speak in favour of shifting age ranges. On average, modern people leave their parents’ home at about age 25. And the average age of marriage for men was 32.5 years in 2013. For women, it was 30.6 years. Compared to 1973, that’s almost eight years later.
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Key takeaways
- The article states that adolescence now lasts from 10 to 24 years
- Puberty begins when the hypothalamus secretes a hormone that activates the pituitary gland and sex glands
- In many developed countries, puberty has shifted from before age 14 to around age 10
- In Britain, first menstruation starts by age 12–13 in 50% of cases, four years earlier than 150 years ago
- Modern people leave their parents' home at about age 25 on average
Published
July, 2024
Duration of reading
1-2 min
Category
Endocrine system
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