Study reveals when adulthood really starts
People might be shocked to find out that adulthood starts much later than they thought.
Although a person is legally considered an adult at 18 in South Africa, it is widely accepted that the full transition to adulthood takes place by age 21.
Many South Africans celebrate their 21st birthday as one of the most significant milestones in life, but does it really mean you are now an adult?
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A new study by researchers at the University of Cambridge revealed that human brains go through five distinct phases in life.
These five brain phases include:
- Childhood – from birth to age nine
- Adolescence – from nine to 32
- Adulthood – from 32 to 66
- Early ageing – from 66 to 83
- Late ageing – from 83 onwards
Researchers scanned the brains of around 4000 people, up to the age of 90, to examine the connections between their brain cells.
"The brain rewires across the lifespan. It's always strengthening and weakening connections, and it's not one steady pattern, there are fluctuations and phases of brain rewiring," the lead author of the research, Dr Alexa Mousley, told the BBC.
From the study, researchers revealed that people remain in their adolescent phase well into their early thirties.
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It is important to note that people differ, and some will reach the different brain phases earlier or later than others, but researchers emphasised how clearly the above age ranges stood out in the data.
The five brain phases
Childhood
The brain rapidly grows during this phase but is also temporarily less efficient.
"It works like a child meandering around a park, going wherever takes their fancy, rather than heading straight from A to B," said the BBC.
Adolescence
From around age nine to the early 30s, the brain undergoes a major shift towards "ruthless efficiency", representing the most profound change between the brain phases.
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This phase also carries the highest risk for the onset of mental health disorders.
Adulthood
In adulthood, the brain enters a long, stable period lasting about three decades, during which changes occur more slowly.
Efficiency begins to decline again, matching the typical plateau in intelligence and personality.
Early Ageing
Beginning around age 66, the brain gradually shifts towards more regionalised activity rather than whole-brain coordination.
This stage coincides with rising risks of conditions such as dementia and high blood pressure.
Late Ageing
Starting around age 83, the same types of changes seen in early ageing become more pronounced, although data is limited due to fewer healthy older brains available for study.
This stage deepens the separation of brain regions and reflects the later-life milestones noted by researchers.
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