Do you ever feel immature for your age?

Sometimes I feel immature for my age (I'm 24 years old). And it is frustrating and annoying! Like, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to be for my age, but I do? I know, that's confusing, but I don't know how else to explain it. Like, majority of people my age are into boys, clubbing, parting and those things. But I'm into hanging out with my family, staying home and watching my favourite shows or surfing the internet or going to the beach or mall. And I don't have many friends. I don't even have a boyfriend, and I never had one. But the thing is, back in my teens, I never thought about relationships and having a boyfriend and all that. And I'm boring and weird like some people (in real life) say. I just want to be normal and be my age. Why is it that I feel or am immature for my age??

hi and welcome to pc every person matures at his or her own pace. Besides I dont see why being into clubbing is supposed to be more mature than enjoying to stay in. these things dont determine your level of maturity in my opinion. Having meaningful relationships can be a sign of maturity but not having a bf doesnt necessarily mean you are immature. You could have just not me the right one yet.

You sound the opposite, just reading this. Spending time with family, sounds like a Mature Life Priority.

UGH...the whole 'weird' word! Honestly, I've been told that, in my youth, teen and twenties. But, Alas, in my 30's, Weird, is NOT a word used to describe me! Those that said that word to me. Not so mature now, I'll say that. ((social media, has a way of being able to see, 'where are they now?')) It's funny too, because when I went from one hs to the next, moving from living with my dad, to living with my mom. And going from a catholic HS to a very poor urban city high school...the city, didn't see me, as 'weird'...I actually became one of the more popular kids. Go Figure!! Going from a urban city school to a predominantly not urban private upper scale college, ugh! Culture shock!

Don't listen to them, hun!!! You sound more together, just based on this post, than whomever is saying you are weird, etc for not doing the club scene, yadda yadda....

My two sons never got into the clubbing and partying scenes either (thank goodness). They are now 20 and 23 and the 23 year old is getting married this weekend. I would say your behaviour is probably more a sign of maturity than immaturity. You are not weird. There are more like you than you realize. The portion of youth you speak of isan over marketed group of people with a lifestyle pushed toward spending and wasting money on frivolous past-times. Perfect for our market consumption based culture. You simply sound smarter than that.

I feel that way all the time. I'm 34 and often I feel like I have the emotional maturity of a 2 year old. I definitely feel sometimes that I have the coping skills of a 2 year old. But I take a look at the world around me and then I think that I'm doing okay after all, considering what I've been given to work with. Welcome to PC.

No one can "keep up with the Jone's," and be happy, successful and whatever. It's a problem in our culture, that we are supposed to be what everyone else wants us to be. If you want to be "immature" then do so. We all have immature moments. Do you, be happy, and don't confuse other's ideas, and ideals for yours. You are important, and you don't have to be anyone else, but yourself. I'm glad your here and reaching out, but it doesn't seem that you are the problem, just others and their ideas. I'm currently reading a book, Life Code by Dr. Phil McGraw, and am finding it helpful on how to identify and separate and overcome problematic situations and people. I bought it on my Kindle. Maybe you can find something useful in there. I'd like to keep this convo going, so you can message me if you'd like, or reply to my messages. I've posted in other Forums like Introductions, and Therapy. Maybe you can give me some advice. Anyway, I hope to tty some more!

You are judging yourself by societal expectations instead of doing what you want to and not worrying about it. I spend my days knitting cartoon characters, watching anime, talking about and playing video games, and dressing up as my favorite anime characters. I know I have the emotional maturity of a teenager or younger....like a two year old. Everything is mine and that includes people. I think you're fine, just realize where you are and what you want for now. Welcome to PC.

thanks for the positive comments everyone i'm glad you guys think that i'm not immature.... but i failed to mention that i've or have been told, that i've an innocent mind :/ like, people my age and younger than me knows a lot of uh, s*x (sorry if such words aren't allowed here, i'm still new :/) and stuff like that. and i don't. in my defence, i grew up in a sort of strict ad slightly controlled home. my brother and i had limited tv and internet access when we were in primary and high school. it was when we started form six (16 years) then were got more tv privileges and internet access, but even still then; my parents will now and again "monitor" what we were doing on the internet. i don't know that has to do with why i am the way i am?

but even now, at 24, i love watching disney shows (the shows, not the cartoons.) disney is still my favourite channel. and i love animation movies (like despicable me, lione king, etc....) and i've been told that i am too old to watching such movies and channels. like i'm going to see despicable me 2 this weekend and my co-workers (one of them is 19 years, but grew up in a.... dysfunctional family of sorts? :/ she had a baby when she was 18 and her boyfriend lies and cheats on her) keeps telling me how i'm immature and that movie is for children. but that is what i like, you know? i remember watching lion king earlier this year and my sister (31) looked down on me and actually said that i'm so immature and that only children watch that. but i do watch other shows - ncis, white collar (some of my favourite "mature" shows, if you will.) i know i'm probably over-reacting, but i'm often told that i'm immature and have to grow up. but i'm smart, i go to university. but i'm just immature and boring and i want to be un-immature and whatever's the opposite of boring. but at the same time, "my scene" isn't late time clubbing, and all of that.

but anyway, thanks very much for the positive comments. it's much appreciated

congratulations to your son and i wish him all the best that marriage has to offer

There can be a lot of anxiety and self-doubt at any age; I'm nearly 63 and still feeling like I am not "grown up" enough sometimes. It is usually not good to compare yourself with others but to go toward what you want. But, if you want to have friends and meet guys, etc. then you have to try to do that; trying to avoid going out in the world and just sticking with the people and places you know will become more and more limiting as time goes on and it will get harder and harder to change and get your "own" life.

It is all about experience, and you can't get experience with "new" things by doing just the old.

I wouldn't take any notice about what your work friend & sister said about watching what you watch. I have never liked disney films, even as a young child - did that make me as old as the hills at the age of 5? I did read all of the Harry Potter books at the age of 30, and watch the films - and my parents loved the films, and asked to keep them all - and they were 65 at the time!
It's just down to personal taste - no wrong or right I don't think and the only 'young' thing you are doing here that I can see, is letting someone else's comments take the joy out of these films and make you wobble in your confidence.

However, if you're feeling immature with stuff compared to your peers and it's making you uncomfortable, do some research and reading. I used to feel really thick compared to my friends as they all knew so much world history - so I bought some books on it. If you feel boring, try some clubs? Anything you ever fancied doing as a hobby? At least then you may meet some more like-minded folk that do not judge you.

Keep being you!
Hugs.

Lonely Girl,

Your question is whether or not others feel immature for their age. The answer from me is a resounding yes. Although we are no where near being the same age, I will say that I've always felt immature for my age. I am more of an introverted person who prefers activities that feel calming, safe, familiar, and often, quiet. And yes, I too was called weird for my temperament. All I can tell you is that you are not alone in this and shouldn't believe that there is anything wrong with you for it.

Maybe you're dissociated.And maybe you are minimizing the 'strict'+'controlled'. If the child feels
oppressed and controlled to a great extent maybe
he/she will 'go away' in his mind,and so remains
'frozen' at whatever age they went away. The reason I know this,is,I was 'away' for most of my
life,and just started to awaken in year 2000.
Do you sometimes feel you can never understand
people? That it is OTHERS who are the adults,
but not you? Do you try to 'please' people often?
Do you have very little confidence? Do you 'greet'
people as if you had not seen them for years?
Look back into your childhood to see if you are
minimizing what happened to you.
Kind Regards,
BLUEDOVE

one of my favourite quotes is, "if you always do what you have always done, you will will always get what you have always got." but i'm just so comfortable in my comfort zone, haha; having a rough time in high school, being an introvert and all makes me like my comfort zone a lot.... :/

but i do read and research stuffs. i know a good bit of random facts and stuffs because i like to research stuffs on the internet. and i do read, i like reading, poetry, history, etc.... but i don't read much, but it's never the reading aspect that they comment on. plus, i read more than them.... if school and work doesn't take up too much time.... i really don't like clubs, and i don't want to go to a club just to please them, you know? but at the same time, it'll be nice if they don't put me down all the time for being "immature" when i don't think i am honestly, i don't have time to do extra stuffs with work and school and gym and the occasional visit to the house of my faith.... :/ but thanks for the suggestions all the same

"I am more of an introverted person who prefers activities that feel calming, safe, familiar, and often, quiet." that is me and how my comfort zone is. i'm always scared when someone pressures me or challenges me to step out of that comfort zone. and i know there're and will be times when i've to. but i don't want to step out of it just for the sake of please people.... :/

I've always since childhood been pretty immature with social stuff. I still have a best friend and I'm over 40. I'm not interested in relationships. I even like toys and some childish things, but not because I'm just childish, but because I'm ageless so I do whatever I want and I don't care what age it belongs to.

I've always been independent, thinking and reading a lot and responsible. Even as a child. Even back then I liked getting into serious books and I also started creative writing very young.

In a way I'm just all ages at once and always have been. It's fine with me because I don't want to give up who I am because a number.

Yes, I do. Since I am in my late 30's, and have never been married/no kids (Doubt I will ever marry). With FB, I see how "far behind" I am...it used to bother me, but I realized a few yers ago, no one knows what is going on behind closed doors/profiles.

I have immature tastes in most TV shows, but who cares?

I think sexually I was stunted as I grew up hearing "those girls are no good"....earliest memory of that was 4-5 yrs old. So the image of disgust in my mother's face & expected ridicule was the best manner of abstince(although I do realize that sexuality is normal & most cases physiologically driven).

I like my mental age of 16-24.

Lonely Girl, if you are doing the things you enjoy doing, so what about what others think? When I was your age I was not into partying etc. either. If this is not what you want in your life, why not do what others suggested in this thread and experiment a little?

As for watching Disney movies - what's wrong with that? To me it's a healthy thing to be in touch with the child-like part of ourselves.

Hi, im 25 and i know i am well immature for my age....even other people think im maybe about 20 years old....it is really frustrating, because its like im missed out on life experiences i should have in this age

You know what you like - i don't see that as immature. It sounds like the people being mean aren't too comfortable with themselves so sadly ridiculing you is an outlet for that. Disney seems to attract people of all ages - a friend of mine back in primary school had a mum who used to collect all the plush toys and memorabilia. They don't just do animation films either - do you watch any of the live action stuff? There are some films you would never even associate with Disney. That might be a way of branching out without veering too far from your comfort zone. It seems there's an aversion to 'cartoons' beyond a particular age. I just don't get it. There are adults who dedicate their working lives to illustration and animation etc. What bugs me also is that Pixar films seem to be perfectly alright for adults yet the classics are just 'wrong.' It's hypocritical. Anyway i digress, if people call you out on what you love i would just respond with; 'at least i know what i like.' Don't let the discomfort of others make you feel bad about yourself, i think we're a number of ages rolled into one and if you swing towards a certain mindset - who cares? Complete maturity would be a very boring life!

Bless you, you may be comparing yourself too much to others, wch is easy to do, but best not to. I have done this and still do it at times, tho function better when I don't. And I'm sixty years old! I refuse to regret too much, or fear too much, most of the time, it's poison! I hope you will feel better and be able to deal with this better at a much younger age. I wish you all the best!

Lonely girl,

If you change your language a bit - from "immature" to "young" - your problem will be solved on your own level.

Then you will just need to have your friends do the same - would be harder.