Benefits of emancipation for young people: need for independence

Living with parents when we reach certain ages can be comfortable, it allows us to spend a lot of time with our parents, share moments and opportunities, as well as responsibilities ...

However, in the course of our vital development there comes a time when this, instead of being a opportunity, becomes an obstacle when it comes to continuing to develop skills on a personal level, of great importance in the adulthood. That is why emancipation is an important element in the lives of young people.

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The challenge of starting to live as a young person with autonomy

In recent years, in our country, there have been different socioeconomic aspects that have influenced the emancipation of young people taking longer and longer to arrive.

The economic crises that we have faced in recent times, the instability in the workplace, the rise in prices both in purchase and rental of housing, are some of the reasons that have influenced young people increasingly find it more difficult to make this decision, and their emancipation outside the family home is seen overdue.

Spain is in sixth place in European countries in which young people between the ages of 25 and 34 still live with their parents. But, as we mentioned before, on a large number of occasions, this It is a decision made more by the circumstances that surround them than by their own desire.

These conditions have come to make emancipation a necessity rather than a decision. There has been a delay in the age at which independence from the family of origin occurs, but our maturational development continues, and between its fundamental characteristics is the need to generate a space of our own, of responsibilities, hand in hand with progress as the adults in which we are converting.

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What are the benefits for young people to become independent?

These are the main beneficial aspects of emancipation in the youth stage.

1. Responsibility

Emancipation is directly linked to the presence of responsibilities, many of which the young man may not have thought about before.

The maintenance of the home itself, the day-to-day tasks assigned to it, including them within your routines, as well as solving the difficulties that may appear in their development, will be part of the emancipation.

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2. Autonomy

With the beginning of adolescence we already see the need for independence and autonomy, when the minor himself demands to make decisions for himself, that his opinion be taken into account and valued the same as the rest, seeing himself prepared for the decision-making that accompanies him in this stage.

When we advance in this development, autonomy is increasingly important, adapted to the evolutionary cycle in which we are.

When we are between 20 and 30 years old, our maturational capacity is what sufficiently prepared to make decisions for oneself, regardless of the assessment of others; And this is how we have the need to do it, ensuring our well-being based on our own wishes.

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3. Self-management

At the time of emancipation also one's own ability to manage conflicts and resolve situations that can be seen as complex is put to the test.

This encourages the development of the capacity for identification, analysis, options and opportunities that we can find, being oneself the one who makes the decision that he considers most appropriate according to the characteristics of the moment.

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4. Decision making

In the development of this new stage, with great assiduity will be reflected the moment when having to make certain decisions on a personal level.

Many of them, surely, had not been valued or could be experienced in a more subtle way, since the greater responsibility of the home did not fall on oneself. Now the implication in decision making is different, now we are in charge of deciding based on our own criteria and what we consider to be the best decision.

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5. Create your own rules

Hand in hand with all of the above is creating our own standards. Now the personal space is your own home, and, therefore, you are the person in charge of its dynamics. There comes a time when you realize that you no longer have to follow other people's established rules or traditionsInstead, it is you who will set those standards, placing greater emphasis on those things that are important to you.

6. Liberty

Just as independence is associated, on the one hand, with a greater degree of responsibility, on the other hand, we find greater freedom. This may sound contradictory, however, entering adulthood is closely related to these two concepts.

How many times have we heard someone, or even ourselves, wish we were of legal age so that we can do whatever we want? This greater freedom is accompanied by a greater ability to choose for oneself and, therefore, greater responsibility when it comes to the decisions to be made. It is true, independence provides greater freedom in choosing our criteria and our standards.

Author: Bárbara Lucendo Arribas, General Health Psychologist at Centro TAP.