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The White Privilege of ‘Adulting’
Some of us didn’t have the luxury of choosing to learn life skills
I don’t think there’s a recent term that irritates me more than “adulting.”
Seeing posts or hearing people say, “I just made rent. Adulting!” and expecting people to give them a medal for being responsible or doing something basic makes me seethe. Because I notice many of the people using the term “adulting” don’t share the same hue or gender that I do.
To the privileged, adulting is the practice of behaving in a way that is characteristic of a responsible adult, especially the accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks. It presumes that the person engaging in this behavior was sheltered, coddled, or otherwise lacked the basic life skills necessary to be a successful adult. But if you’re not White or male, basic tasks and survival skills are likely not anything new to you. If you’re a Black woman, you’ve probably been adulting since kindergarten.
Adulting isn’t some Herculean feat. It’s a sign that your parents — and, to a smaller extent, society — failed you.
Black girls, in particular, are highly likely to be adultified, or viewed as adults while still children. Numerous studies have shown that…
