Adults' fear of growing up tends to decrease as they gain experience, according to research published by the American Psychological Association on June 26. The study, featured in the journal Developmental Psychology, examined how "maturity fears"—the desire to return to childhood and apprehension about adult responsibilities—changed over time among college students from different generations.
Researchers analyzed data from 1,200 college students surveyed in 1982, 1992, and 2002. Participants rated their agreement with statements such as "I wish that I could return to the security of childhood" and "The happiest time in life is when you are a child." The findings showed that millennials (surveyed in 2002) reported higher levels of maturity fears than Generation X (1992), who had higher levels than baby boomers (1982).
Two decades later, the same participants answered similar questions: baby boomers in 2002, Generation X members in 2012, and millennials in 2022. The results indicated that maturity fears generally decreased with age across all groups for both men and women. The only exception was men from the baby boomer cohort surveyed in 1982. The reduction in fear was steeper for younger cohorts compared with older ones.
According to Smith, one possible explanation is that exposure to feared outcomes—in this case aging—can reduce anxiety over time. She said young adults may initially fear aging because it seems uncontrollable, but may become less anxious as they gain financial independence and successfully handle adult responsibilities.
Smith said a key question remains unanswered: why newer generations experienced higher maturity fears initially. "Our study shows that these cohort differences exist, but it doesn't tell us exactly what's driving them. Future research should examine the role of factors such as economic uncertainty, climate concerns, major societal disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic, and the growing influence of social media," she said. "If people perceive the future as increasingly uncertain, it would make sense that growing older might feel more daunting than it did for previous generations."
