Consider the Following Alarming Graph. Hover over states and the bar for more information:
Issue of Addiction:
The issue of addiction in American society is grave, with young adulthood being an age range severely affected. Understanding addiction in young adulthood benefits from understanding the developmental milestones expected during this period. These evolve alongside the rapidly changing sociocultural shifts shaping young people’s experiences today.
Multiple Factors:
We must consider technology, medicine, psychology, and political trends as all contributing in powerful, unique ways in 2025 to the young adult’s experience in identity formation. Loneliness is said to be an epidemic in America, alongside opioids and a recent global pandemic whose effects continue. The emergence of addiction in young adulthood is connected to previous life experiences and myriad internal/external factors. Review theories behind the phenomenon of addiction itself below:
Social, biological, and environmental factors
Social, biological, and environmental factors play critical roles in shaping addiction risk during young adulthood. Lack of access to stable employment, affordable housing, and mental health resources increases vulnerability.
Peiper and Ridenour (2021) emphasize that young adults may face barriers to seeking help, such as stigma, limited healthcare insurance coverage, or fear of judgment from peers and family. Intimacy is still a concept to learn and solidify between adults, and adult individuality and self-worth is a concept that forms alongside this. Using substances can ease the psychological discomforts associated with many of the challenges of young adulthood. Addiction develops from a choice into habit in stages, marked by a progressive loss of control.
Stages of Addiction:
- Addiction arising in young adults does not occur in isolation, having its myriad roots in previous life stages, experiences, and genetics. Addiction is deeply intertwined with the structural and relational challenges characteristic of young adulthood.
Below is the criteria for addiction as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- 5th edition:
Modern Day Adulthood:
Young adults today have experienced adulthood at the dawn the 21st century or later. This time has marked the end of old traditions and the rejection of racist, sexist, and ableist views that reigned supreme. These elements were beforehand interwoven into American society and history before it.
The academic and research views, media outlets, and spread of information that permeate American society were all revolutionized by powerful movements and trends in this current century.
2025 Spotlight- Post Pandemic Era:
COVID Pandemic and Addiction:
Recent studies have highlighted that substance use and addictive behaviors significantly increased among young adults during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. Volkow (2020) describes a “collision of epidemics,” where isolation, stress, and economic instability contributed to spikes in alcohol, cannabis, and prescription drug use. Patrick et al. (2022) similarly found that pandemic-related disruptions intensified pre-existing vulnerabilities, particularly among those already facing social and economic disadvantages. Substance use among young adults today often begins as a coping mechanism for managing anxiety, loneliness, or uncertainty, but can rapidly escalate into addiction (Testa & Echeverria, 2023).
Trump Administration:
2025 appears to many as a regression, with the Trump administration’s return, its draconian measures, Project 25, and an American society that many young adults feel helpless towards. Many changes have already occurred that are directly impacting education and civil liberties, research, and the future freedoms of our society.
Many American young adults living today fought hard for inclusivity for gender, sexuality, race, women, immigrants, and many other individuals and groups and feel that the progress is being lost before their eyes. Issues such as addiction, mental health and trauma are in need of recognition, empathy and healing more than ever before in this century.
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