Adulting Classes Are Booming — Because Gen Z Never Learned the Basics

Posted: July 22, 2025
Last update date: July 22, 2025
5 min read

The Rise of a Generation Deprived of Key Life Skills

Gen Z was “lucky” to be born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s and entered the real world as highly connected but strangely unprepared people. Indeed, it is the first truly digital-native generation since they have grown up with smartphones, social media, and instant access to ANY information. Yet, many find themselves at a loss when faced with everyday tasks like filling out a basic form, cooking a meal, or changing a light bulb.

These aren’t just minor gaps — they’re fundamental life skills that previous generations often took for granted.

No wonder there’s been a noticeable surge in demand for guidance on “how to be an adult.” People usually start looking for TikTok/YouTube/Reddit tutorials and end up taking an adulting 101 class for more complicated tasks. 

We believe it reflects a deeper issue: the traditional channels for learning essential life skills have eroded. As a result, many young adults are now unsure how to function confidently in the real world.

So, how did we get here, and what can we do to close the gap?

What Basic Life Skills Does Gen Z Miss?

Having access to all the information in the world, Gen Z may be interested in more fundamental questions in the first place. They want to discover the universe, not how to adult and fix the washing machine. Nevertheless, real life can hit hard, and here are some general tasks they’d like to omit on a daily basis:

  • Filling out forms (bank, tax, insurance);
  • How to change a light bulb or tire;
  • Doing laundry properly;
  • Basic first aid skills;
  • Cooking simple meals;
  • Time management and budgeting.

And the list goes on with more specific things they just “can’t”:

  • Read utility meters and understand energy bills;
  • Make a phone call for an appointment without anxiety or a script;
  • Do grocery shopping with a plan (not just grabbing oat milk, pasta, and snacks);
  • Keep houseplants or pets alive (while recognizing the difference between thriving and surviving);
  • Navigate without GPS when your phone dies (or there’s no signal in the forest, aka panic mode);
  • Handle awkward but necessary conversations, like roommate boundaries or asking for a raise;
  • Master basic sewing skills, like reattaching a button or fixing a loose hem;
  • Wake up without five alarms and a crisis;
  • Decipher what “business casual” really means.

These everyday tasks may seem small in isolation, but they shape a person’s ability to function confidently and independently in the real world. For this purpose, they naturally consider attending adulting classes to figure things out.

Why Gen Z Lacks These Skills: A Closer Look at the 4 Root Causes

So, we’ve investigated the cute side effects of being a Gen Z representative, but let’s now guess possible reasons for such an attitude to life. Here are some ideas why so many basic life skills have fallen through the cracks.

Overreliance on Tech

There’s little motivation to retain practical knowledge when almost anything can be Googled. Need to boil an egg? Google it. Need to fix something? There’s a YouTube tutorial. Why bother remembering something in your memory or muscle? Ironically, tech has been intended to make people’s lives easier, but has also made many young people feel less capable.

Parental Overprotection or Lack of Time

Unfortunately, many parents don’t have time to teach these skills at home or unconsciously shield their children from responsibility. However, such care leaves young adults overwhelmed by fundamental challenges when they move out. 

Lack of Practical Education in Schools

If we lived in utopia, schools would be responsible for a well-rounded education. Instead, we have a shifted focus to emphasizing test scores. For example, home economics classes have vanished from many curricula, leaving students unprepared for the simplest budget tasks. That’s where adulting 101 class is handy; it tells you how to provide first aid, understand basic etiquette, and resolve minor home issues, like unclogging a drain or stopping a leaky faucet.

Shift From Hands-on Tasks to Digital Tasks

The digital shift in nearly every aspect of modern life leaves few opportunities for young people to participate in real, sometimes dirty, hands-on work. Changing a tire, ironing a shirt, or boiling an egg may seem foreign, not because they’re difficult, but because they were never modeled!

The Rise of “Adulting” Courses and How-To Content

Following the request, many YouTube and TikTok channels are flooded with life skills tutorials. Reddit forums like r/Adulting offer community-driven advice on navigating adulthood’s awkward terrain. They range from “how to fold a fitted sheet” to “how to budget for your first apartment.”

The upside is helpful info, but the time spent on its search might take a while. Besides, information might be inconsistent, sometimes outdated, and often buried under clickbait or irrelevant fluff. One YouTuber says one thing, another contradicts it right away.

Still, Gen Z is actively trying to catch up. That’s what they are good at — finding information. Ideally, they want to see it collected in one place. Thus, searches for adulting classes online free, how to adult, or adulting 101 class have skyrocketed!

What’s missing is a centralized, trusted space where practical life skills are explained clearly and taught by people who ACTUALLY know what they’re doing. 

The Gap in the Market: Why Gen Z Needs an All-in-One Life Skills Hub

The scattered landscape reveals a huge opportunity: a comprehensive, modern platform where young adults can learn life skills. Moreover, they want to do it on-demand, step-by-step, and stress-free!

Imagine a hub that combines the accessibility of TikTok with the structure of a real course and an adulting 101 class. Verified experts teach Video tutorials here — simple language, no judgment.

Such a resource would not just fill knowledge gaps but also build confidence in Gen Z. Eventually, it would normalize the idea that learning to be an adult isn’t embarrassing — it’s empowering.

Here’s How Educators, Tech Creators, and Parents Can Help

For starters, schools could integrate real-world skills into the curricula and make “adulting” as crucial as algebra. Tech creators can also design apps that teach daily tasks through gamification or real-life simulations. Additionally, parents can involve teens in everyday tasks to get help with budgeting, repairs, or even small cooking projects.

And as a culture, we need to drop the shame around not knowing basic things. Life is complex, and there’s no deadline for learning how to live it.

Let’s Build a Smarter, More Prepared Generation!

The good news? It’s not too late. With the right tools and mindset, Gen Z can become one of the most self-sufficient and adaptable generations yet. All it takes is some guidance, reliable resources, and the freedom to ask (even the “stupid” questions).

Let’s encourage life skills education and build confidence through competence — one adulting class at a time!

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