What does 'adulting' to mean?

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    • #1164
      sammy
      Participant

      Although I understand in theory what it is I’m still confused as to why it has become, to use the modern vernacular, ‘a thing’? Is it simply an example of the rhetoric of choice because it’s difficult for young people to buy houses and, in some cases, begin careers unless they have parental help or is it something that younger people actually see as desirable?

      Any opinions? Views of millennials would be most welcome as you are the only ones who truly understand

    • #1165
      nomad
      Participant

      I heard an interesting discussion on social media/tech recently. The conclusion was given that due to extended life expectancy it is normal for a society to reach normal milestones later, so we expect education to take longer, people start to drive later etc so essentially ‘childhood’ from the view of not doing things adults do becomes extended. But that tech has likely accelerated the effect that would have been expected over the last 10 years.

      To me adulting = responsible, usually boring, unavoidable stuff. Stuff you’d prefer to pretend doesn’t need doing.

      • #1166
        sammy
        Participant

        That’s interesting and a fairly plausible as an explanation but I think that a) life expectancy is beginning to decrease once again and b) do humans really adapt that quickly to what is likely to happen in the future? I suppose if you were guaranteed to live to 150 then putting off doing the ‘boring stuff’ until your 40s would make sense but it must be hard to visualise yourself at that age and to act accordingly, no?

        I agree that there is a lot of boring but necessary stuff to do when you are an adult but I’d rather I had control over it than let my parents do it for me

    • #1167
      paki
      Participant

      The Urban Dictionary’s definition is very enlightening, not only regarding the term but also those who use and and even those annoyed by its use.

      Oh, and it is SFW.

      • #1168
        sammy
        Participant

        Thank you I’ve read plenty of articles on it but can’t get the Urban Dictionary to open today for some reason.

    • #1169
      hopscotch
      Participant

      I am a child. I’m 40, but I’m a child. I have no wish to grow up and do adult things. I want someone to look after me and do all those things, take me to the dentist, sort out my washing, insure my car… I would like it if I still had my mum making my tea. She would also like this.

      Sadly at the insistence of society and my husband I am forced to do things which as a child I’m not really grown up enough to do, in my opinion – I even had to arrange the purchase of my own house by managing the solictor, bank and seller, which is outrageous as my husband/mum should have done that. They are both actual adults.

      For me, adulting is what nomad said – boring, responsible things – but with the underlying feeling that you’ll be found out as not appropriately qualified to complete the activities, like when you tried to buy alcohol from the off licence underage. It’s pretending to be an adult.

      • #1170
        sammy
        Participant

        I can’t tell if you’re being serious?!! I’d hate my parents to make my decisions for me as they’d make decisions that suited them but would most likely not suit me. If I left it to them I’d be driving a boring car, towing a caravan and enjoying gardening. Oh wait …

      • #1171
        eee
        Participant

        I’d agree on the boring, responsible stuff and I can see what hopscotch means. My friend said it to me when I explained my weekend consisted of housework and DIY jobs. Mentally I will never grow up, so I’d much rather be playing with games and reading, but sadly to have a job/house/etc I do need to partake in ‘adulting’.

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