Does Gen Z Need ‘Adulting 101’? » The American Spectator | USA News and PoliticsThe American Spectator

As Gen Zers like myself finish our education and enter the workforce, many of us initially face the fear of the next chapter in our lives: adulthood. 

The “fear of adulting” was the main topic of conversation amongst my classmates during the last days of college before we graduated last year. We reminisced and laughed about various memories from college, when we had to call our parents or consult online videos to learn how to do laundry, clean messes, or fix our cars. At one point, we even discussed how we wished there were classes or school events that focused on performing basic life skills throughout our college careers.

Universities have started to take heed of our concerns and have created classes to provide students with the knowledge older generations would refer to as “common sense.” Articles from the New York Post, Vice, and other outlets are garnering attention this week on Gen Z’s reliance on university resources for adulting. 

Gen Z is signing up for “Adulting 101” classes to help with basic life skills! What do you make of this? Would YOU attend one of these classes? Send your thoughts to varneyviewers@fox.com pic.twitter.com/HtP5rjJ1Gq

— Varney & Co. (@Varneyco) May 27, 2025

The University of Waterloo, as reported by the Post, is one of Canada’s top institutions that offers an online resource called “Adulting 101.” The resource provides students with “important life skills you might have wished you learned sooner,” such as how to take care of one’s mental and physical health, maintain a clean living space, and how to buy groceries. 

A simple Google search yields numerous results showing that colleges across the United States offer similar programs. Austin Community College District, for instance, held an event in March with three workshop sessions dedicated to budgeting, meal planning, sewing, and preparing taxes. 

“We send them off to adulthood without other skills,” Jean Twenge, researcher and professor at San Diego State University, told CBC’s The Current. “If they’re not learning how to make decisions on their own and solve problems, that can be challenging.” 

Twenge, author of multiple books on generational research, also told the radio show that today’s children are less independent, making them less likely to learn adulthood tasks in high school and beyond. 

She also explained how students living with parents longer can cause them to take on less responsibility. “You are just more likely to be financially dependent on your parents for longer. And as a result of that, people get married later, they have children later, they settle into careers later,” Twenge said. 

Twenge is right — many Gen Zers would rather postpone or simply refuse to make life-changing decisions (like getting married) because of the fear of the unknown and a lack of desire to leave what’s comfortable. In another study from Talker Research, Gen Zers consider “true adulthood” to begin at the age of 27. 

A small phenomenon is occurring among Gen Zers who are becoming open to the idea of traditional marriage and getting married at a young age; however, according to the 2024 U.S. Census Bureau report, the median age of first marriage is still approximately 30 for men and 28 for women. Before Gen Z, the median age at which people got married lingered in the early 20s. 

I am considered an outlier for my generation. Before I even graduated from college, I got married at 21, which forced me to step outside of what was comfortable for me. Safe to say, I’m still learning how to “adult” as I go. 

While older generations can easily dismiss Gen Z for not knowing what they knew at our age, Gen Zers can find gracious elders full of wisdom who meet us where we’re at by providing guidance to us on social media on how to do basic things. 

One of my favorites is Bo Peterson, a social media influencer known as “Dad Advice From Bo” on TikTok and Instagram. Peterson has over four million followers on TikTok and on Instagram, and he posts “dad advice” content on car and household maintenance. His content is created with the help and inspiration of his daughter Emily, where the funds from his content go toward finding a cure for her brain injury. 

As Gen Zers continue to navigate the ups and downs that life brings, it appears that “Adulting 101” lessons will remain a key part of life, whether taught in schools, on social media, or simply through living adult life itself.

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