Over the decades, the lines separating young- middle-aged-, and older adults have blurred, as indicated by a broadening of the appropriate years for making life decisions.nbsp; Not only are many people marrying later, but some are marrying earlier than ever.nbsp; Overall, women giving birth later, but some are having children earlier in their lives. Older people are retiring later, but some are retiring at a younger age.nbsp; The spread or variability (standard deviation) of age-based decisions has increased substantially, giving adults greater freedom from the traditional constraints of age. With these relaxed age norms has come a host of related social problems. The relaxation of age norms for adult decision-making has inadvertently blurred the boundaries between adults and teenagers, between teenagers and children.nbsp; This generalization of the phenomenon throughout the life cycle is responsible for the adultification of childhood.nbsp;

Eight year old girls are, to an increasing extent, being treated as sexual objects; bullying peaks in the 6th grade; larger numbers of girls are having oral sex or sexual intercourse by the age of 15; the pregnancy rate for girls 13-15 is on the rise; we are in the process of dismantling the juvenile justice system in favor of adult forms of punishment; and more and more children are left without adult supervision in the afternoons, as though they were miniature adults who are capable of raising themselves.nbsp;

Jack Levin is the American Sociological Association's 2009 Winner of the "Public Understanding of Sociology" Award.nbsp; This short book communicates the power and importance of sociological thinking to major, worldwide social trends.nbsp; Ideal for use in undergraduate courses such as introductory sociology, social problems, and social change as well as more advanced courses in population, or sociology of aging.