Adolescence lasts until 24, scientists say

Earlier puberty and pushing back of life milestones have extended transition to adulthood

Harry Enfield
Comedian Harry Enfield as Kevin the Teenager
(Image credit: BBC/Wikicommons)

Anyone between the ages of 10 and 24 should be considered adolescent, according to a new paper published in The Lancet.

Writing in the medical journal’s Child and Adolescent Health publication, doctors from the Royal Victoria Hospital in Melbourne argue that the biological and social development associated with the transition to adulthood now takes far longer than in past generations.

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