In recent months, the term “adulting” has become an increasingly popular term to describe the act of doing things that a responsible adult does. As someone beginning to transition from adolescence into early adulthood and slowly beginning to realize all of the responsibility that I’m going to need to start taking on, I take great pride in the little moments where I do something even remotely grown-up (Because let’s face it, I’m a big dumb procrastinating teenager like the rest of ’em. Please, let me enjoy my last fleeting moments of really not caring about anything too much yet.). For this reason, I find a very real connection with the word “adulting” at certain times, because I know that I am going above and beyond what is expected of me at this age.
Obviously, in different households, the expectations are different and people are raised with different ideas of how much responsibility they need to take on before leaving the nest and becoming an Certified Grown-Up™. As an only child, I never had to worry about most of my own scheduling and remembering appointments and such because my parents didn’t have multiple kids to deal with so as a result, I’ve probably gotten off a lot easier than a lot of other people up until this point. I feel like in the past year or so, I’ve become much more autonomous and began to get comfortable with the idea that, yes, I need to go to work and deal with my taxes and make sure that I go and get my oil changed and all of that lovely stuff. Still, I felt pretty proud of myself when I remembered that I was going to be driving by the doctor’s office on my way to go somewhere else and I needed to make an appointment. Because it was my first time making my own doctor’s appointment and it’s something that my parents usually still do for me, I felt like I was “adulting,” that I was taking responsibility for something that is not currently expected of me. For adolescents, the word encompasses what it feels like to take charge of an important aspect of life without that being a norm that everyone your age follows anyway.
The real problem that I have with the whole idea of “adulting” is when actual adults use the term to display pride in doing something that they should be doing anyway. As a good friend of mine said, “The status quo has not changed. You’re just being an entitled idiot.” I wouldn’t personally go so far as to use the word ‘idiot’ because I feel that that implies ignorance. Anyone who would use the term “adulting” obviously has some concept of the fact that they need to take responsibility and isn’t ignorant to it. However, I agree that there’s definitely a sense of entitlement that lies behind it to a certain extent. Perhaps another later to it is a reluctance to grow up and take on the role that they know will follow them for the rest of their lives, or maybe an immaturity stemming from a childhood of not having
to take more responsibility already.
Regardless, the whole concept of “adulting” is diminishing what it really means to grow up. Being an adult is not just about cooking yourself a real dinner or remembering to do laundry or making sure that you file your income tax return. It’s about accomplishments that are truly your own,
finding your passions, branching out and working towards life goals that are less short-sighted than simply trying to be a functioning member of society. As of my 18th birthday, I plan on stop using the word “adulting” and accepting the fact that this is what my life entails now. There’s no point in living under the illusion that cooking a chicken stir-fry is somehow an accomplishment.
