We have known for a long time that adolescents experience a lot of stress and anxiety, but what we didn't know is that emerging adults, especially those in Gen Z, are extremely stressed and feel isolated and lonely. A recent survey by the American Psychological Association (APA, 2020) labeled Gen Z as the most stressed generation.

Our 2020 survey shows that Gen Z teens (ages 13–17) and Gen Z adults (ages 18–23) are facing unprecedented uncertainty, are experiencing elevated stress, and are already reporting symptoms of depression (APA, 2020).

And, according to APA's 2023 survey, A Nation Recovering From Collective Trauma, Gen Z rates the following as significant life stressors:

The survey found that the emerging adults of Gen Z are the most stressed-out generation in the post-pandemic era.

The stage of emerging adulthood was first proposed by Jeffrey Arnett (2000) as a distinctly different stage of development from that of adolescence and young adulthood. It is the period of development spanning the ages of 18-29 that most individuals in Western cultures experience. "Across industrialized societies, emerging adulthood is a period of many changes in love and work, but most people settle into enduring adult roles by about age 30" (Arnett, 2007, p. 72).

According to the Pew Research Center (Dimock, 2019), Gen Z comprises individuals born between 1997 and 2012. There are 68.58 million individuals in this generation. Gen Z is more racially and ethnically diverse than previous generations, made up of 52 percent white, 25 percent Hispanic, 14 percent Black, 6 percent Asian, and 5 percent Other (Parker & Igielnik, 2020). Gen Z is on track to become the best-educated generation to date. Gen Z are emerging adults.

Overparenting is sometimes called "helicopter parenting". It occurs when a parent over-nurtures their child by doing things for them that they should be doing for themselves, making decisions for their child, especially when the child is old enough to make those decisions by themselves (Clarke and colleagues, 2014). Overparenting involves high control, protection, and over-involvement in their child's life. Overparenting can occur at any stage of a child's life.

It is seen as particularly problematic during emerging adulthood when the child is no longer a child but is striving to become an independent individual with a separate identity from their parents. Overparenting tends to make the emerging adult overly reliant on a parent to make decisions. It also robs the emerging adult of learning valuable life skills, making adulting very difficult.

Let me share a true story. During their senior year, psychology majors at my university are required to complete a full semester 450-hour internship. They interview for each position, which gives them real-life job search experience........

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