How to Adult

Being an adult used to mean that you already knew how to sew on a button, cook a simple meal, and change a tire. But in 2025, the path to "adulting" looks a little different. A growing number of people are turning to tools such as Google, YouTube, and ChatGPT to learn what used to be considered basic life skills. The internet hasn't only changed how we access information; it has reshaped how we define independence and self-sufficiency.

Now, instead of flipping through a manual or calling a relative to learn how to do something, you can watch someone do it on video or ask an AI tool to walk you through it like a mentor. By 2018, more than half of United States YouTube users were already saying they used the platform for "figuring out how to do things they haven't done before," according to Pew Research data. A 2024 Google Trends report showed significant year-over-year increases in searches like "how to budget in your 30s," "how to jump a car battery," and "how to cook rice without a rice cooker." Because social media has normalized the concept of learning as you go, the stigma of not knowing something has been replaced by a culture of self-teaching. 

YouTube is often the first stop. A search for "how to tie a tie" returns millions of views on videos that walk users through the process step-by-step. Cleaning trends remain one of the most popular content categories on TikTok. ChatGPT and other AI tools are pushing this learning revolution even further. Unlike a search engine, ChatGPT can walk someone through a process in a conversational way, adjusting explanations based on the person's skill level and situation. For example, a user can ask ChatGPT for a $50 grocery list that feeds two people for a week, with easy recipes included. Or first-time renters could use ChatGPT to understand leasing terms, red flags, and how to communicate with landlords. When used in this way, AI becomes more than just a source of information; it is a helper that makes adulting less intimidating.

Why are adults missing some of these so-called basic skills? As the United States educational system has focused more on academic achievement, practical skills training (classes that teach students things like sewing or managing finances) in schools has decreased. According to the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, less than one-third of American high schoolers take a class like home economics. In addition, many young adults now live at home longer or pursue higher education into their 20s, thus postponing their need to cook, do minor home fixes, manage finances, or maintain a household.

Whether you're 22 or 52, you are not alone if you've ever had to Google "how to fold a fitted sheet." Modern adulthood isn't about already knowing the basics; it is about having the curiosity and resourcefulness to learn them.