Puberty: Now Starting Earlier & Lasting Longer

The L.A. Times has an interesting article about how girls are hitting puberty earlier and earlier. In 1850, the average European girl got her period at age 17, and by 1950 the average age was 13. Now, it's 12, and it's not uncommon for girls to develop "breast buds" (ew) as early as eight. I totally wore overalls practically every day in fifth and sixth grade because I refused to wear a bra. (And I still hate wearing one - maybe I should invest in some overalls, even though now they're only acceptable on babies and farmers.) I think it's really interesting that even as women are becoming physical adults earlier, we are becoming adults in the social sense much later. In 1900, the average American woman was married at age 22, and in 2005 the average bride was 26. To many people these days, 22 seems freakishly young to walk down the aisle. Especially because in the past, kids were usually expected to move out and be financially independent around the age of 18, but now most of us rely on our parents until we graduate college, at around 22 (or even later, if you count grad school). Are we destined to become a confused race of children with the bodies of adults?
{via Jezebel}