Remember when 'adulting' first started popping up everywhere? It felt like a collective sigh, a shared joke among those of us navigating the messy, often unglamorous, realities of grown-up life. The term, born from the verb 'adult' and the ubiquitous '-ing' suffix, quickly became a shorthand for the daily grind: paying bills, doing laundry, filing taxes, and generally keeping your life from falling apart. It’s that feeling of 'Wow, I’m actually doing this adult thing!' even when you’re simultaneously eating cereal for dinner and wondering if you remembered to lock the door.
It’s fascinating how language evolves, isn't it? 'Adulting' wasn't just a fleeting internet trend; it was officially recognized, even making it as a candidate for Oxford Dictionaries' Word of the Year in 2016 and later finding its way into the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary. This linguistic journey tells a story about our times. It speaks to a generation, often millennials, who found themselves grappling with economic pressures that made traditional markers of adulthood – like homeownership or financial independence – feel like distant dreams. The pandemic, in particular, amplified this sense of challenge, turning 'adulting' into a core vocabulary for understanding the difficulties of striking out on one's own.
At its heart, 'adulting' captures a peculiar disconnect. We might be biologically adult, but the actual doing of adult responsibilities can feel like a constant learning curve, often accompanied by a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor. It’s the acknowledgment that while we’re expected to have it all figured out, the reality is far more nuanced. Think about it: the sheer act of keeping a home clean, managing finances, or even just remembering to buy groceries can feel like significant achievements when you’re just starting out, or even when you’ve been doing it for years.
This cultural moment has even influenced educational approaches, with some US colleges offering 'adult skills' training. It highlights a broader societal shift where simply managing the basics is seen as noteworthy. It’s a far cry from the days when adulthood was simply a given milestone. Now, it’s an active, often challenging, process that many are still figuring out, one bill payment and one load of laundry at a time. And while there might be films and shows titled 'Adulting' – like the South African production by Tshedza Pictures or the Singaporean film from Viddsee – they often tap into this shared experience of navigating the complexities and occasional absurdities of becoming and being an adult.
So, the next time you find yourself overwhelmed by a to-do list or celebrating a small victory like successfully assembling IKEA furniture, remember you’re not alone. You’re participating in the very real, very human act of 'adulting,' a term that perfectly encapsulates the modern journey of growing up.
