Sometimes I feel like adulthood is a social performance that people just aren't that into these days.
I mean, sure, there's biological adulthood, which is a bit more well-defined, but in the usual sense of the word, as a collection of tastes, behaviours, modes of expresssion, etc., perhaps it's just going out of style.
In my mind, adult taste is not just fashion but integrates judgement of quality and function. The adult has specific goals which are often benefited by greater order and less noise. A child doesn't share those goals. Their focus is play and seek pure stimulation and delight in noise.
It's probably true that adulthood is increasingly playful which feeds into tricky questions about whether this is infantalisation or something more positive like increased authenticity now that we are freed from arbitrary constraints of decorum such as dress-codes, rigid hours, cap doffing etc.
Sometimes I feel like adulthood is a social performance that people just aren't that into these days.
I mean, sure, there's biological adulthood, which is a bit more well-defined, but in the usual sense of the word, as a collection of tastes, behaviours, modes of expresssion, etc., perhaps it's just going out of style.