They became convinced they could remain children forever.
As they got older, they refused to admit that is just a dream ALL children have, and that ALL children in the past have arrived at the doorway to maturity, and going through that doorway is as important to one’s emotional maturity as emerging from the womb is for the whole person.
They held on to their childish things—the things they read, and watched and listened to were not given up for deeper things, tougher things. When challenges appeared, they saw them as obstacles to be avoided...and so they did avoid them, and did not gain the insight and knowledge that leads to wisdom.
Instead they thought “We can just keep refusing to grow up, and the world will have to just deal with that.”
They were wrong.
Or maybe they just took the brown acid when they shouldn’t have. Stupid is as stupid does.
You are right. Peter Pan syndrome rules now. You cannot look anywhere in music, television, or movies and find mature men or women.
The dads are dolts and the moms are Marge Simpsons. Women have it the worst. They are sexualized in the extreme, they have to earn money, Dutch treat for dates, and put up with the boorish behavior of the modern ape-like male.
ding ding ding ding....we have a winner!!!