Age is not only a quantitative and absolute concept. It still exists as a stage in the process of psychological and physical development. And quite a long one. From birth to death, to be precise. Dozens of years, and some have about or more than a hundred. And, accordingly, age categories and periods of life, which in many respects intersect with each other, could not help but form. However, this can be described in more detail.
Infancy
If we talk about age categories, then you need to start from the earliest period. And this, of course, is infancy. Which is also divided into certain categories. The first period (neonatal) lasts from the moment of birth to the 1st month. It is determined by a weak emotional development - the child has a too “generalized" state. And the infant himself requires the constant involvement of parents in every process of his life.
2nd period - from two to three months. It is characterized by a more developed emotional system. You may notice that the baby already knows how to get upset and smile at familiar people, even focus on his face.
The next period lasts from 4 to 6 months. The child has already more or less strengthened emotional and sensory system. He recognizes people who are constantly next to him, distinguishes friends from strangers, knows how to determine the direction from which sounds come.
In the period from 7 months to 1.5 years, the child develops and learns motor abilities. When his age exceeds the mark of 2 years, the time begins for increased physical activity. And the child himself goes into a different age category.
Childhood
This is a fairly long period. Which is divided into several more. In early childhood (from 1 to 3 years) and preschool age (from 3 to 7). The first category is often called the nursery period. This is a conditional division, which is mainly associated with social causes. A child who first went through a nursery, and then through a kindergarten, does not have further difficulties with entering into a new team (class at school).
If we talk about age categories, then such a cell as schoolchildren can be considered one of the most difficult psychologically. Since it is during the training period that the personality of the child is formed and a certain “foundation” is laid, which will play a role in the future.
In addition, children belonging to the school age category are growing intensively in all plans. Processes such as ossification of the spine and skeleton growth occur, muscle tissue builds up, the nerve apparatus of the muscles stops forming, but lung tissue, lung capacity and volume increase. And, of course, the early age categories of children are characterized by the functional development of the brain. By the age of 8-9, the child already has a firmly established type of higher nervous activity.
Teenage years
It also needs to be noted with attention, telling about age categories. This period is ambiguous. Girls are considered teenagers from 10 to 18 years old. Boys - from 12 to 18.
Children of this age are experiencing turning points in the development of the body, because puberty occurs. The activity of the endocrine system changes, as does the functionality of the organs. Children begin to grow more intensively, there is an increase in body weight. The production of hormones is enhanced, which is reflected in psychosocial development. The teenage period ends with the end of puberty. And the children move to a different age category.
Youth and youth
Here the psychological aspect, rather than the biological one, already plays an important role. And opinions differ. So, for example, psychologist E. Erickson believes that youth lasts from 13 to 19 years, after which comes youth, which lasts until the age of 35. During this period, the person begins to "mature", realize himself and, as a rule, enter into a relationship.
But if we turn to the classification of the APN of the USSR, defined in 1965, then after adolescence follows adolescence. But for girls it starts at 16 and ends at 20, and for guys it lasts from 17 to 21.
If we talk about the biological component, then in people of this age category the final completion of physical development is observed. But only in guys the body does not yet reach the strength and strength characteristic of an adult man. The same goes for girls. The figure of young ladies is clearly different from that of women who have passed through childbirth. And biological concept of youth is conditional precisely for this reason. The person may be 19 years old, and, in fact, psychologically, she is considered a girl. But if she gave birth to a child, her body loses her youth. And call her objectively a woman, not a girl.
Average age
Or, as it is also commonly called, maturity. Talking about age categories of people by years, it cannot be ignored. It is believed that this is the longest period. Traditionally, it lasts from 21 to 60 years for men, and from 20 to 55 for women.
A table of age categories shows that it is divided into two periods. The first is from 21-20 to 35. It is characterized by stable functioning of the body. After 35 in average people, neuroendocrine restructuring begins. The main physiological indicators are slowly but progressively decreasing. Perhaps the appearance of primary signs of diseases that are usually prevailing in older people. But if a person is healthy, leads a correct lifestyle, then all this can be postponed indefinitely. Again, age categories of people are one thing, and how they manage their health is another. At 20, you can look 35 and vice versa. Some "individuals" and 25 kidneys are denied.
Maturity
Specialists studying the age categories of the population managed to find out a lot of interesting and useful data. For example, the mortality rate of mature people from malignant tumors over the past 60 years has tripled.
And due to the fact that by the second period of maturity, a person is increasingly beginning to feel tired from constant work and the same lifestyle, various forms of pathology begin to appear. These are injuries (domestic and industrial), tumors, cardiovascular ailments. Largely due to the fact that a person ceases to evaluate himself critically, it seems to him that he is as young and full of strength as at 25. But if he is 50, then he can no longer do anything the way he does coped with this about 20 years ago.
And cardiovascular disease is a sad topic. They arise due to the fact that constantly accompanies a modern person through life: stress, nervous tension, depression, poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, smoking, alcohol. In addition to this, during the middle age, additional mental stresses are added that appear for personal and family reasons.
Retirement age
It is joined by men and women who are over 60 and 55 years old, respectively. The signs of aging are increasing: the structure of the hair and skin is changing, another gait becomes, the shape of the figure is being transformed. Retirement age is accompanied by a decrease in heart mass and its frequency contractions. Blood vessels lose their elasticity, a certain amount of blood is also lost. The respiratory system also changes. Due to changes in the tendon and ossification of the ribs, the rib cage ceases to be as mobile as before. And the lungs, respectively, can not cope with their task, as before, “smartly”.
But, of course, everything here also depends on physiology. People can look great and feel great both at the age of 65 and at 70. Again, the lifestyle and how much a person is “tired” during his life matters. Age categories of people by year is one thing. But the way they feel psychologically is completely different.
Old age
This is the last period of life, it stands out conditionally. Usually lasts from 75 to 90-100 years. But this is in our time. In general, age-related periodization is a strange and controversial topic, especially if it concerns people who are “over 35”.
Recall, at least, the end of the 19th century. Then the deep old people, who should have gone to rest, were considered people of 45-50 years old! And this, in fact, inspires in our time. It turns out that old age is gradually “retreating”, and the duration of young ages is consequently increasing.