Adulthood Starts at 26, According to Survey

The law may imply that you’re a grown-up when you’re old enough to vote, serve in the military or drink legally. But most Americans really think adulthood begins at age 26, according to a study from the University of Chicago.

The study said most people don’t consider a person grown up until they finish school, get a full-time job and start raising a family.

Tom W. Smith, who conducted the study, said the results are a sign that society has accepted what researchers have called an “extended adolescence.”