Episode Details

From sewing on a button to managing credit, a growing number of adults are admitting they were never taught the basics. Across libraries, community colleges, and online platforms, “adulting classes” are filling gaps left by families, schools, and an increasingly digital upbringing, offering practical lessons for navigating modern life. In this episode, we explore why demand for these courses is rising across generations, how financial complexity and social uncertainty have made everyday competence harder to acquire, and what it says about changing ideas of adulthood itself. The story suggests that learning how to live may now be a lifelong project—and that asking for help has become part of growing up.

https://www.economist.com/culture/2025/04/10/too-many-adults-are-absolutely-clueless