Failure to launch

Failure to launch informally refers to dependent young emerging adults who are unsuccessful in transitioning into societal requirements of adulthood. Characterization of this group in some Western societies includes those living with and reliant on their parents, those with an avoidance of higher education, and those unable to contribute financially through employment; independence and self-sufficiency are valued. Given the large variation within Western countries with regard to acceptable living with parents and other interpretations of adulthood, failure to launch has been considered as oversimplified or insufficient terminology.