Think about all of the technological advances and cultural shifts that have occurred in the past 40 years. The PC, the laptop, the smartphone, social media, artificial intelligence, the 24/7 news cycle, advances in medical technology that are extending life expectancy, psychiatry, massive amounts of college debt, and a more global awareness: just to name a few. New doors have opened that never existed before, and any mistake that you make could be remembered forever.
I wasn’t alive 40 years ago, but I am an older millennial and even my childhood was much simpler than “kids these days” - age 12 and on were similarly difficult with the explosion of the internet. When you consider how much things have changed, it’s easier to understand why adulthood could take longer to develop and the maturity curve lengthens. But I do agree that a 26 year-old is not a kid and he shouldn’t think of himself as such.
I’ll get off the lawn now...