"Adulting"

As you move into adulthood, you increasingly choose who influences you and how to respond to things.

Adulting is a term that refers to the performance of tasks and responsibilities typically associated with being a responsible adult, such as paying bills, doing taxes, cooking meals, or scheduling appointments. Popularized in the 2010s, especially among millennials, the term is often used humorously or ironically to express the perceived difficulty or novelty of managing everyday life tasks that are traditionally seen as mundane or obligatory. "Adulting" reflects both a cultural shift in how young adults relate to the idea of maturity and independence, and a broader commentary on the economic and social challenges—such as student debt, housing costs, and unstable job markets—that can make the transition to adulthood feel more daunting or delayed compared to previous generations.

While not universally accepted in formal academic lexicon, "adulting" is increasingly recognized in the popular psychology of growing up, providing a lens through which scholars explore modern challenges faced by emerging adults. The term often highlights the tension between traditional expectations of adulthood and the evolving realities young people face today.

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