I can’t get it out of my head. This New York Times Magazine article from August, titled “What Is It About 20-Somethings?” by contributing writer Robin Marantz Henig – I can’t escape it. But so it goes, I suppose, when something is so candidly full of truths, it becomes unavoidable.

The 10-page feature explores the new age of the twenty-something – what many perceive to be a delayed journey into adulthood. According to Henig, gone is the “traditional cycle” of life, or what sociologists deem the “transition to adulthood” (i.e. “completing school, leaving home, becoming financially independent, marrying and having a child.”)

In its place is a widely shared sense of idealism. We are letting ourselves take time for “identity exploration, self-focus [and] experimentation in love, work and worldview,” Henig said. To some, this equates to a “failure to launch,” and they are worried about the impact this will have on society – a society long built on antiquated, preconceived notions of how life is supposed to generally proceed.

And then there are those who believe that this “longer road to adulthood signifies something deep, durable and maybe better-suited to our neurological hard-wiring,” according to the article. Clark University Psychology Professor Jeffrey Jensen Arnett fronts this movement, asserting that this new development should be viewed as a distinct life stage: “emerging adulthood.”

Psychologically speaking, this new phase is described as “identity exploration, instability, self-focus, feeling in-between and … a sense of possibilities” explains Henig. During this period in our lives, we are “more self-focused than at any other time of life, less certain about the future and yet also more optimistic, no matter what [our] economic background,” according to Arnett.

Scientific research supports this theory, too. A brain-development study done by the National Institute of Mental Health observed almost 5,000 children from ages three to 16. The researchers hypothesized that the brain would stop growing by the time the subjects hit 16. After extending the end date of the study multiple times, they ultimately found that the children’s brains were not fully mature until at least 25.

In years past, being 25 years old generally meant being married with kids – performing our societal duties as either a successful businessman (for the gentleman) or a housewife (for the ladies).

(I can’t stop envisioning classic ’50s and ’60s sitcoms like “Leave It to Beaver.”)

Imagining myself with children in four years makes me break into hysterical nervous laughter. Goodness knows I can barely take adequate care of myself at present. Adding new lives to that equation spells out disaster at this stage of the game for me. My cat is more than enough for me to bestow any sporadic matronly urges I may have.

“Today young people don’t expect to marry until their late 20s, don’t expect to start a family until their 30s, don’t expect to be on track for a rewarding career until much later than their parents were. So they make decisions about their futures that reflect this wider time horizon,” wrote Henig.

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Now in my fourth year of university, I am slowly but surely becoming more and more petrified that by December of next year, my stint as an undergraduate will have come to an end. I have so many goals and dreams for the future that I’m not sure what I should pursue first. I don’t want to settle down in any one city for quite a while, because I feel that the world has too much to offer. This just goes to show that, in this moment, being a parent is not on the agenda for many years to come.

I believe very strongly that “the world is my oyster.” I feel that it’s absolutely necessary to make time enjoy life instead of consistently pushing forward to get through it. I see too many people that fail to take the necessary steps to make themselves happy (whatever those steps may be). And as much as I believe that you should love your job or career, it shouldn’t consume so much of your life that you forget what else and who else brings you joy.

In no way do I feel pressure from the five milestones of the “transition to adulthood.” In fact, calling those markers by that name infuriates me; I still wholeheartedly consider myself to be an adult – whatever that word really means any more. Truthfully, Arnett hit the nail on the head with the term “emerging adulthood,” and he is entirely warranted in pushing for its recognition as a new developmental stage.

Growing up, every kid’s parents have said things like “look both ways before you cross the street” and “think before you speak,” always preaching an implied lesson of responsibility. Well, moms and dads, listen up: We are being responsible. We just aren’t going to rush into important decisions that could define our future, and we’re going to make sure we enjoy the ride along the way.