Immature Young Adults

Something unusual has been going on these days in Japan. Japan seems to have been going through some sort of social change. Spring is the season when a lot of memorable ceremonies, such as graduation and entrance ceremonies, take place. It is a pretty common practice for parents to attend such ceremonies for their children up until the high school level. However, this spring sees very unusual phenomena at the university level.

More and more parents have attended the school entrance ceremony of universities their children are permitted to enter. Some universities had to hold their ceremony more than once to accommodate those parents. When interviewed about the reason for their attendance, these parents answered that they wanted to share such an important and precious time with their children. High school graduates gave a similar answer when asked. Yes, that is right. However, eighteen-year-olds (i.e., high school graduates) used to feel embarrassed if they were accompanied with their parents to such a ceremony. They used to feel that this is a sign of immaturity and dependence on their parents. Even if their parents insisted they attend the ceremony, children used to decline their parents’ offer.

Is this only one time phenomenon we have witnessed this year? Or, is it going to continue? Although indulgence of YOUNG children towards their parents is a pretty well-known child-rearing practice in Japan, YOUNG ADULTS’ indulgence has not been tolerated. What is going to happen to Japan if these immature young adults outnumber “ordinary” young adults?