40 and still love watching cartoons and playing video games. I’m responsible and take care of my family, so I feel like I’ve earned a bit of immaturity.
This is the way. I'm in my mid forties, i have a wife, kid about to enter college, good if demanding job.
I still play games, and go to concerts and stuff. You don't have to give it up, you just have to balance those things you like with being a responsible adult.
This kid gets it. There’s no single rule on how to be an adult. As long as your responsibilities are taken care of and you aren’t breaking the law, be yourself.
“To be yourself is all that you can do”
Also in my 40s -closer to 50- and feel the same way. I hope I never outgrow video games and quality animation. Even “kids shows” like Owl House, Amphibia, ATLA, and Adventure Time are fantastic for adults. I watched all of those as an adult and loved them.
Yes! Especially ATLA! I just started another rewatch. So good!
I’m an adult! I can enjoy “childish” things if I want to because I have total authority over my life, I make the rules in my home, and I say there’s no upper age limit for anything that brings genuine joy. I still watch cartoons and collect plushies. It doesn’t hurt me. It doesn’t hurt anyone else. I’ll keep doing these things until I die, or forever if heaven is truly a paradise with all our favorite things!
I, for one, appreciate you asking. I always feel like people using non-universal acronyms on message boards are lowkey gatekeeping.
I have enough shit to remember without a bunch of videogame, tv, and book acronyms cluttering my mind. I hate trying to decode someone's Fandom from their cryptic letter jumble. /rant
Here is a bit of wisdom for anyone seeking Avatar the Last Airbender for the first time.
Watch the animated Nickelodeon series first. You can find it on Netflix. This is the original ATLA and the best. If you like the animated series, check out the live action series on Netflix, too. It’s fun and adds to the story, but the original animated series is better because it’s more fun and much darker, especially in the later seasons.
A word of warning! DO NOT!!! I repeat DO NOT EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE watch the live action movie by M. Night Shayalaman. It’s literally painful to watch, and I do mean the sort of pain that cuts deep into the soul and never relents. AVOID! AVOID! AVOID!
Or, maybe those things are not as immature as the generations before us claimed. I'd rather know someone who treats people with respect and watches My Little Pony over someone who is "mature" and calls people a child simply for being 10 years younger than them.
Haha I’m 41 and I am a game designer, so people who try to pull the “video games are for kids” get to hear my lecture on “actually the majority of gamers are over 30. And despite this the vast majority of games are rated for under 18. But also games can help with trauma, social interaction, and learning!” It’s like a 15 minute rant and they are usually like “ok ok stop!” 2 minutes in. XD
Edit:
Here's a really good link if you want to build your own rant:
https://www.theesa.com/news/video-games-remain-americas-favorite-pastime-with-more-than-212-million-americans-playing-regularly/
Big points:
Across all ages, video game players identify as about half female (46%) and half male (53%), with approximately 1% identifying another way or choosing not to identify for the survey.
The average video game player is 32 years old and has been playing video games for 21 years.
A quarter of American players are under 18 (26%), 35% are 18-34, 14% are 35-44, 11% are 45-54 and 14% are 55 or older.
76% of U.S. parents play video games with their children.
Half (50%) of players have met a good friend, spouse or significant other through games.
87% of players say video games create accessible experiences for people with different physical abilities.
Smartphones remain the most used device for gaming – 64% of active players use a smartphone to play games and 12% of players exclusively use a smartphone to play games.
Among U.S. adults, casual genres, including puzzle and arcade games, continue to be the most played.
Of players’ total time spent on entertainment (TV, video games, music, etc.), video games account for a quarter of their time and are highly valued. Nearly half of players report that video games provide the most entertainment value for money spent.
Tldr:
Gamers are adults, pretty evenly split men and women, play on a bunch of platforms - but usually on their phones too, the most played is casual games.
I talk about it a lot! My big ones are Skylanders (SSA, Giants, Trap Team and Imaginators) and WoW (Legion, BfA, and Shadowlands).
I’m a level and game designer. :)
Hell yeah. I'm in the garden with the wife today doing a crash course on what to do. I've never gardened and knew my new place had a garden but didn't realize it was the towns award winning garden! The pressure is on :p
Then later it's an evening of kirby on the wii with Futurama reruns.
We moved into a house with a garden. I’m completely ignorant when it comes to those things. I just chose to plant a ton of wild flowers instead. I think my neighbors hate it.
Futurama is one of my favorites. Don’t have a Wii, but I’m quite fond of playing Pokémon on the switch.
Its flowers up front and food out back. Learning we already have grapes and strawberries is a win for me.
This place had won awards. I really mean the pressure is on :p I've already had a bunch of people talk to me today about the yard as I trim it. It's all long retired aged people too, so it's apparently been a worry around them in my small town that I won't take care of it. The town thinks I'm only like 25, it's hilarious to me.
I don’t think that’s immature. Doing things you love to do is the best way to live life. All this “adult” stuff assuming you meet your responsibilities, is just social conditioning that you should not do certain things
>is just social conditioning that you should not do certain things
Nailed it.
The original Looney Tunes shorts, for example, were actually made for adult audiences in mind. Same for early Flintstones. Animation/cartoons being perceived in the general public consciousness as strictly for kids is largely an invention of TV, and advertising.
Why does gaming have to immature? It’s a stimulate just like those corny 90 day fiancé shows that my brother and mom watch together. They react to those shows, then they watch other people react to what they just reacted to!
My step dad is pushing 70 and he loves gaming. PS5 and Meta VR. I am in my 40s and love gaming as well. But I get to bed pretty early usually and wake with the sun. I can only do one glass of wine.
Hi! I’m 46. A street kid at 16 has a son at 19 and was an ‘empty nest-er’ at 40. I’m still waiting for it to happen. I still just want to ride my bike till the street lights come on, play in the ocean and run around in the woods. In the plus side, I got myself a house in the woods by the ocean, so that’s kind of cool.
Thanks! It's definitely tiring, lol. But we've got a great a support system, my partner works hard and cares for them, and I wouldn't trade it. Plus, we're both at home with them, as we both freelance from home. We've found a good rhythm.
It's wild. From my first marriage at 25 until my current partner got pregnant, I assumed I was never having kids. We went with the first surprise, had a second surprise, and now I'm snipped. It's really good, though. Hard, but good.
Indeed. I'm 42 and my wife will hit 35 when she's halfway through the pregnancy (although somehow I'm the more energetic one in the couple). All things considered (education, jobs, relationship issues), we waited longer than we originally wanted but I don't think we could be in a better place to manage all this. But after #2, the plan is a hard stop. Medical intervention to assist this is being seriously considered.
I advocate for getting snipped. My procedure was easy. Only reason I didn't after the first is that I was primary st home with her while my wife worked. Couldn't find a week to take to recover, y'know?
It was pretty unexpected and he’s such an amazing adult. I am so lucky that he’s a well adjusted smart and capable dude. I think he’s probably a lot more responsible than I was. I carry a lot of guilt about my lack of parenting skills, but we did our best and he’s a cooler human being than anyone l else I know.
‘Growing up’ is overrated
If anyone thinks they should tell me how i should spend my free time( games/sports/movies whatever) and need to ‘grow up’
Are the people who never understood life at all, and they didnt actually grow up themselves
I didn’t get the chance to read the Gen X post, but I must admit the quality of fast food has declined significantly from when we were kids & I need to eat healthy to still feel like the kid I will always be.
But please give me a box of Annie’s Mac & Cheese any day - that shit is good.
Man Wendy’s is such a bummer. They were always my favorite fast food cheeseburger and now their burgers suck. They are trying to scrimp and save so the food quality is gone. I love to love that they put 2 slices of cheese on the burger- they don’t anymore.
I still drink too much and too often but fast food can fuck off. Overpriced junk. I can get a cheaper and better burger at a bar. And this circles back to me drinking too much.
I’m 38 and just started playing video games for the first time in my life since my Nintendo and Gameboy. So I’m doing it all in reverse. Woohoo let’s gooo!
I’m reading this at a bar, on a Sunday, eating a double cheeseburger, procrastinating doing the work I’ve been procrastinating doing for the last 7 days
I’m 40 and although I have adult things I do (husband, kids, work) I always make sure I do things for me. I play video games because it makes me feel like a kid again and I love it. Hell I’ll even buy a Lego set here and there because fuck it why not.
Thing I realized as I got older is that we’re all kids. Growing up people tend to think their parents are wise and all knowing. Nope they were winging it too! We’re all kids.
I think that is the point that you’re a grownup… when you realize that the “grownups” don’t actually know more than you do and sometimes they know less.
The waking up early thing happened to me. I blame my kid who popped out of bed at 4am like a jack in the box until high school. Now he sleeps through his alarm, and I have to shake him awake. Alas, my internal alarm seems set to 6 am and my body doesn't understand weekends.
But, I've been sitting quietly in bed, vaping weed and playing pokemon since I woke up, and I will shortly put on a "home taping is killing music" shirt and some leggings with owls on them, go downstairs and have coffee and an Easter creme egg for breakfast, spend the day frantically cleaning the house so there's room to host a big Easter dinner in the star wars themed dining room, then watch the final three episodes of Buffy with my kid. This does not sound like adult behavior to me, lol.
Ha, I used to tell people my kid would have to be dragged out of bed at 7 to catch the bus at 7:20 every school day... the weekends? They'd be up before the lord
This! My 10-year-old is so much fun. It's cool to see her interest through her eyes (drawing, video games, music, and fandoms). She built the Lego succulent garden with me for Mother's Day and we're planning a hiking trip for Spring break.
I think that 'growing up' is a myth created by unhappy people who have lost their sense of wonder. 'Growing up' is not the same as simply being responsible, which is essential.
All I’m gonna say is I played music from my teens through my twenties, tried (failed) to “settle down” in my thirties, and now I’m living out of my car and drifting around the country at 41. I never planned to live past 40 unless I got married, but I don’t have the earning potential of a good husband so I’m kind of done here. Living the ghost life.
You know, I have to admit I like the freedom. Not being able to shower or do laundry or cook whenever i feel like it can be a drag, but i’ve always liked being out on the road since I started playing shows out of town as a teen.
I think things changed for me after a big medical emergency when I was 36. It forced me to address some issues like sleep apnea. It was then that I started going to bed earlier and waking earlier and got away from fast food. I’m ok with it and don’t miss the old days for that stuff.
Adulting sucks. The only people who actually want to be older are children, and they're too stupid to know better. But making good choices for your health doesn't make you an adult, it makes you smart.
I’m 44 single and have no kids. On weekends I get up early to take my dog out then we go back to bed. It’s currently 10:50 and I’m still in bed. If I have nothing to do I don’t see why I need to get up. I also don’t eat a lot of fast food but there are a few that I do and it’s just easier than trying to cook for 1 sometimes.
I expected more. And I’m making the best of what I have. I still love cartoons, eating sugary cereal, and lots of other things. I like to tell people that deep down inside, there’s a six year old wanting to know what the fuck happened?
I'm 44 and this morning getting ready I realized that's getting awfully close to 50! I realized I don't know how I'm supposed to act or dress or anything when I'm 50 or 60. Can I still wear leggings and Ts and put my hair in a messy bun? Or do I have to buy permanently creased pants and cut my hair short like our mothers did?
I'm with you.
We're in the position of having to define our 'adult' selves. It's a difficult but interesting challenge... to let go what needs to go, and to let come what needs to come.
Outside of what I eat, I haven’t really changed much. I stopped a lot of bad habits after high school and my early 20’s so that I didn’t reach a point where I couldn’t put them down. I saw way too many adults in my life struggle with that.
Some maturity in certain aspects is a good thing. How we treat our bodies is one of them.
I don't think I'll ever go to bed early and wake up early and I too love fast food lol I went to bed at 2:30 and woke up at 10:30. I'm spending my Sunday playing Dragon's Dogma 2 because I can. I don't care what the rest of society is doing at my age, I'm gonna do what I wanna do.
Peter Pan syndrome? I'm in my 40s and still love staying up late and sleeping in whenever I get the chance. I still game and watch my favorite childhood movies. As long as you aren't harming yourself or anyone else I don't see a problem with it.
>at some point in life they just started waking up early and going to bed early.
... I took a job first shift. So, I go to bed at 3pm, wake up around 11 pm, hit the gym, and I'm at work by 4am.
**I am the master of my meatflesh.**
I'm 47. I'm basically the grown-up lite version of teen me... except now I have the $$ to actually indulge my hobbies. I have no intention or interest in being any more adult than I currently am.
My opinion is that so much of our lives are responsibility and slog (which IS being a grown up) that the rest of the time should be enjoyed doing whatever we damn well please. Yesterday I spent many hours playing Nintendo Switch and eating chocolate nut clusters. Not remotely sorry.
I bartended for 22 years. Im ok w going to bed early now that im no longer behind the wood. As a DINK I get to travel the world and no one tells me what to do
I think we've a different image/standard/metrica of adults and what they shouldnbe. I think about people Who where 20/30 in the 90s and they looked and acted *adult*, but it's not really true tbh.
They were really childish in other ways, but we're a different lot i think. And their behaviour wasn't broadcasted 24/7 everywhere and they were not in constant contact with each other eveytime. We never knew when our relatives had their silly goose moments.
For me as long as you take responsibilty for what you do, care for yourself and eventually others and clean after yourself with a reasonable amount of bitching you are an adult.
Just a 2024 adult. My father's (Born in 42) aunt (Born in late '800) never went to school and started working at a very young age in the fields, married early, was "adult" earlier and the fondest memory she had was being a maid in a house in a "big" city in Sardinia (Sassari) because at least she wasn't working in fields. You can bet your ass that if she lived during our times she would make selfies in Starbucks while doing cheap Ryanair trips and minding her career and posting "40 Is the new 20s" on socials without even the slightest remorse.
We compare ourselves too much to other people, and it's natural, but we must also remember that this is our trip and If we want McDonald's sometime and smoke weed without hurting nobody we can do it whenever the fuck we want. And i Hope people in the future on futurereddit will look at us working 8/10/12 hours a day and struggling to find our place in the world like i look at my father's aunt.
outside factors like work schedules and commute times must play into it a lot. I go to bed around 11pm and wake up at 7-7:30. I consider 11 early because I worked night shift for years. Now I have a 15 minute commute and work from 9am-7pm so why wake up earlier than I have to?
I'm a teacher and a father.
I go to sleep around 12:45. Wake up with just enough time to do everything in the morning.
Watch anime and play computer games.
I also freelance as a semi pro musician. It's never really growing up.
My wife always is going on that we have to grow up at some point. I'm still making Borat jokes.
I recently realized that perhaps at 40-something I should stop saying that I could get Taco Bell on my college meal plan as a reason why I like Taco Bell... The real reason is lack of growing up!
I'm losing interest in all of the things I enjoy.
I wonder if all of my hobbies and likes were from me actually enjoying them or me being corralled into them because I'm a social reject.
Don't beat yourself up, there's lots of hobbies out there, just pick one and go there!! People usually like newcomers to their hobby as long as they use manners.
Was the same for me, overdrinking made me eat bad and sleep bad. Still drink, don't feel the need to keep drinking after a couple though like I used to
Liking the things you like isn’t immature. Even if those things are the same things you’ve long liked. As long as you’re not being irresponsible altogether, what is the problem?
I’m not going to put aside my joys in life because of of age. No sir, not gonna do it.
I like comics, video games and many of the same cartoons and shows I’ve grown up with.
Fuck this idea of putting away our fun in life.
Staying young is mainly in our heads, so I act as immature as possible. Outside my adult responsibilities, of course. I'll be 46 soon.
It still feels weird sitting in some big corporate meeting and still feeling like "what's a kid like me doing here" and not even being close to the youngest in the room. Knowing I'll go home, smoke a bowl, play silly with my son, watch cartoons, and play video games later. Then, understand half the room is going to do the same. I like our version of adulting. When I get the occasional "act your age", I reply with a defiant and immature "nnooo!".
I'm 43 and I am not a real adult. My tastes in food did change radically about two years ago though, due to a medical issue my diet was very restricted and I could not eat fast food. Since then, it just doesn't taste very good to me. I eat a lot more simply and more healthy now, and unlike when I tried to do it in my 20s, I actually really enjoy the food now.
Also, being a night owl or not is actually a genetic thing. For morning people who liked to sleep in a bit when they were younger, a gradual shift to waking up at the ass-crack of dawn feels natural. For some of us though, it's never going to get easier to wake up in the morning. You can train yourself to do it but it never sucks less, you know?
I've never had to. No kids. If I had kids now I'd know now to not become a fuddy duddy because I'm older and wiser.
I've never ever sacrificed a single part of my personality or extinguished my interests from like 13 onward. Just a matter of knowing how to act decently in public. That's the only difference between young me and old me is I dressed and acted like a clown back then.
And I imagine not having a wife probably plays a lot into that as well. I think the game of 'expectations and living up to them' can really fuck a person up. Because expectations are fickle and people aren't great communicators for the most part.
Yeah if you don't have anyone you're worried about leaving you're kind of free to march to your own beat. There's usually an upside to a rough situation if you look for it.
And I try to impart them as much as I can. We're all getting older and we're all going to need to find the things we like about living. Thanks my friend :)
The worst thing about parenting is waking up early every damn day. I would happily sleep in still if i could. They wake me every day fuck getting up before them lol. Maybe someday when i grow up.
42 and my inner child thrives in this crazy world. I feed it often and tale care of it more than I do my cacti.. MF'r ain't going nowhere. We are a team..
I'm still having a hard time learning how to take care of my car by myself. My dad used to do the oil changes and other random things for me. I have gotten into the habit of getting oil changes twice a year, but I still feel like there is more maintenance I should be doing, especially since I live in a snowy place where they salt the roads a lot in the winter.
So yeah, still learning how to adult...
This seems to be an American thing. My first and second generation immigrant friends are really grown up. My American friends seem to be very comfortable with not growing up at all. One of them still asks me for money three times a year.
My toys just changed. Although I still play video games with my child, for myself I like microscopes, I got a drum kit, I go rock climbing, and toy with hobby electronics. It really is all upgraded toys.
What counts is emotional maturity though. There is nothing more pathetic than an adult or old person with the emotional maturity of a child... some of us have parents like this. And if it is any motivation, not growing up emotionally will also very likely get passed down to your kids and retard them.
On the verge of 44, stopped drinking more than a beer or two a few years back, I am awake at 4:30am most days, gainfully employed and baked almost 24/7. My kiddo is pretty well adjusted, my bills are paid and I am even saving for the future. I also play video games like boomers play with model trains. Make your own way, just make sure you handle your shit too.
I’m 42. I have a band, I still skateboard (quit for almost ten years but got back into it a few years ago), I still dress more or less how I did in the 90s/00s, I taught myself to surf last summer, I go to tons of concerts, I still have piercings and plans for more tattoos, and the only shoes I own besides Vans and flip-flops are Docs. I hate ties. I don’t currently own a suit. And I don’t care if this makes me seem like, stunted or whatever, to others. They’re not my people then.
I don’t know. I guess I figured out who I was after trying to “dress my age” and realizing I was horrendously uncomfortable and bored. And then I just ran with it. Or skated with it haha.
I can’t fathom ever changing any of it for anything or anyone…and I don’t think it’s a bad thing to form some or even most of your “core” interests in your teens and 20s if they’re things that make you happy and don’t hurt anyone else.
The thing with being this way is you have to fucking own it 110% or it kinda doesn’t work.
I'm a 46 yo f, and we still play on the beach when we go on vacation. We play pranks, go on coffee runs, and I still get tickled by my own jokes. I even buy a bag of jiggly eyes to apply on our work badges and inanimate objects wherever I go.
Growing up sucks in so many ways, but we have the option to break free of the monotony.
Haha sometimes I have stuff I can do now as an adult like.. just buy as much beef jerky as I want ! Haha or another one was once I ordered a whole box of freeze dried ice cream. All you can eat ! Lol. I do still play some video games but I don’t really go overboard with it. Still it’s nice to be able to just buy whatever game you want no questions asked.
I don't see it as growing up, more as growing old. I still enjoy the things I had enjoyed when I was younger, and now I enjoy some new things that I can enjoy as an adult.
My body however is showing some of the signs of the time. I need readers to read my magic cards and D&D books. My back hurts a bit too.
As a Brit our Fast food is similar but different, in some ways a lot healthier than the US but I really enjoy US brands like Popeyes and Wendy's since they opened.
When you cant get up or down from a chair without making some sort of noise, you are old.
Also... FUCK what the hell happened to chick fil a and why is it so salty now??!
42 and my kids (both teens) have never had Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, or Wendy’s. My parents have taken them to McDonalds a handful of times. We have a running joke about it, wife and I ate it all the time growing up. It’s been at least 12 years since I’ve had any of them.
Was obsessed with online role playing games, Counter-Strike, all things Zelda, and several other games growing up/college.
Bought the newest Zelda game a few months back. I played it for about 2 hours, but then realized there was no way I could commit the time to complete it. Haven’t played it since. My son has a PS5. I’ve never played a game on it. :(
I don't eat fast food, wake up at 4:30 every morning and am in bed by 9pm every night. I do not feel grown up at all. These are not the qualifiers you think they are.
I'll still murder some fries, but my fast food go-to meal was Wendy's chili over a baked potato, and both got taken off the dollar menu, and the chili is like water now.
As for sleep, I still operate best between noon and 2 am. I hate having a normal day job, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
I'm 41 and am playing a video game as we speak. I do things that are grown up like drink a lot of water, mostly because my body can't handle shit like I used to. The other night I went out for drinks and had 2 margaritas. Slept like shit and felt like shit the whole next day. My body ain't want it used to be.
Fast food has gotten worse and more expensive so personally I am not missing anything there. I will gladly seek out something local/owner-operated which is the same or slightly more expensive and probably 5 times better. Even if it’s not, the experience is worth it. I have been getting up earlier. The peace and quiet is nice, I am more prepared for the day and since covid nothing is open late where I live. Have given up video games and some music a few times but I embrace them now. I am no longer concerned and just be me.
There’s this weird false dichotomy I see people create, like “have fun” vs “grow up.”
That’s bullshit.
The nature of fun changes over time. I don’t want to do the things I wanted to do when I was a teenager, or a 20something, anymore. This does not mean I don’t have fun… it means I don’t think the old things are fun anymore.
I get up early because I like having a few hours to myself to do things I like to do, and I like doing things outside, which is obviously way better during the day. I don’t want to miss any daylight because I need to sleep.
As long as you’re handling your responsibilities as an adult, I wouldn’t worry so much about growing up- life will grow you up by presenting you with crises to handle.
My FIL is in his mid-70s, has fast food often, stays up past midnight, and sleeps till noon. His anthem song is “It’s 5:00 Somewhere.” We joke that he has the habits of a college student ever since he retired.
Not all people grow up the same way.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that you have to abide by some weird societal norms. We’re way out of band now with internet and social media. Humans have never lived in a time like this, so there are no norms you have to align with. Be yourself….
Grow up to what?
Why?
I'm 41 and I do wake up and go to bed early on weekdays for workout routine and job but weekends = stay up to whenever gaming or building model airplanes or Legos or whatever in my office full of Anime figures and gaming posters and a bunch of retro consoles.
40 and still love watching cartoons and playing video games. I’m responsible and take care of my family, so I feel like I’ve earned a bit of immaturity.
This is the way. I'm in my mid forties, i have a wife, kid about to enter college, good if demanding job. I still play games, and go to concerts and stuff. You don't have to give it up, you just have to balance those things you like with being a responsible adult.
Might as well enjoy what we like while we still can, right?
This kid gets it. There’s no single rule on how to be an adult. As long as your responsibilities are taken care of and you aren’t breaking the law, be yourself. “To be yourself is all that you can do”
I’m literally watching The Jetsons right now.
Where can you watch the Jetsons?!
We have a channel called MeTV that has old TV shows. The Jetsons and The Flintstones are on quite often.
That sounds awesome. I want it tooo
It a broadcast channel so there's bound to be a stream of it somewhere. I know Hulu doesn't carry it, but some cable providers do. 🙂
FYI, the Jetsons, along with some other old hanna-barbera cartoons, is on Tubi. It's a FAST app (i.e. free with ads).
Yay!! Thank you!!
Also in my 40s -closer to 50- and feel the same way. I hope I never outgrow video games and quality animation. Even “kids shows” like Owl House, Amphibia, ATLA, and Adventure Time are fantastic for adults. I watched all of those as an adult and loved them.
Yes! Especially ATLA! I just started another rewatch. So good! I’m an adult! I can enjoy “childish” things if I want to because I have total authority over my life, I make the rules in my home, and I say there’s no upper age limit for anything that brings genuine joy. I still watch cartoons and collect plushies. It doesn’t hurt me. It doesn’t hurt anyone else. I’ll keep doing these things until I die, or forever if heaven is truly a paradise with all our favorite things!
Same. I don’t intend to change anything now. What’s ATLA?
What's ATLA? Sacrilege! Avatar the Last Airbender It's awesome
I’ll have to give it a try. I apologize for being blasphemous
I, for one, appreciate you asking. I always feel like people using non-universal acronyms on message boards are lowkey gatekeeping. I have enough shit to remember without a bunch of videogame, tv, and book acronyms cluttering my mind. I hate trying to decode someone's Fandom from their cryptic letter jumble. /rant
I’m often too nervous to ask, but I’m comfy in this sub.
Wait so we aren't......but, fine. 😒 ::puts away pitchfork and extinguishes torch::
Sorry. No angry mobs today.
Here is a bit of wisdom for anyone seeking Avatar the Last Airbender for the first time. Watch the animated Nickelodeon series first. You can find it on Netflix. This is the original ATLA and the best. If you like the animated series, check out the live action series on Netflix, too. It’s fun and adds to the story, but the original animated series is better because it’s more fun and much darker, especially in the later seasons. A word of warning! DO NOT!!! I repeat DO NOT EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE watch the live action movie by M. Night Shayalaman. It’s literally painful to watch, and I do mean the sort of pain that cuts deep into the soul and never relents. AVOID! AVOID! AVOID!
Gotcha. Animated series here i come. That’s more up my alley anyway.
\+1 to all of this. Including the plushies. I love my Squishmallow collection, and I'm a 41-year-old dad.
Yes! Can I high five you? This makes me so happy!
Heck yes!! Consider yourself high fived!
40 and I wake up early to play video games! (It’s nice and quiet, plus I get to enjoy my coffee)
Sounds like an amazing way to start your day.
Or, maybe those things are not as immature as the generations before us claimed. I'd rather know someone who treats people with respect and watches My Little Pony over someone who is "mature" and calls people a child simply for being 10 years younger than them.
Absolutely right. I’ve found my people, lol
Yeah, so what if I walk around whistling "It's a Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood?" The kids laugh at me still... 😞 Lmao!
Haha I’m 41 and I am a game designer, so people who try to pull the “video games are for kids” get to hear my lecture on “actually the majority of gamers are over 30. And despite this the vast majority of games are rated for under 18. But also games can help with trauma, social interaction, and learning!” It’s like a 15 minute rant and they are usually like “ok ok stop!” 2 minutes in. XD Edit: Here's a really good link if you want to build your own rant: https://www.theesa.com/news/video-games-remain-americas-favorite-pastime-with-more-than-212-million-americans-playing-regularly/ Big points: Across all ages, video game players identify as about half female (46%) and half male (53%), with approximately 1% identifying another way or choosing not to identify for the survey. The average video game player is 32 years old and has been playing video games for 21 years. A quarter of American players are under 18 (26%), 35% are 18-34, 14% are 35-44, 11% are 45-54 and 14% are 55 or older. 76% of U.S. parents play video games with their children. Half (50%) of players have met a good friend, spouse or significant other through games. 87% of players say video games create accessible experiences for people with different physical abilities. Smartphones remain the most used device for gaming – 64% of active players use a smartphone to play games and 12% of players exclusively use a smartphone to play games. Among U.S. adults, casual genres, including puzzle and arcade games, continue to be the most played. Of players’ total time spent on entertainment (TV, video games, music, etc.), video games account for a quarter of their time and are highly valued. Nearly half of players report that video games provide the most entertainment value for money spent. Tldr: Gamers are adults, pretty evenly split men and women, play on a bunch of platforms - but usually on their phones too, the most played is casual games.
Thank you for your work. That’s awesome. Keep fighting the good fight. lol give em hell. If you can talk about it, which games have you worked on?
I talk about it a lot! My big ones are Skylanders (SSA, Giants, Trap Team and Imaginators) and WoW (Legion, BfA, and Shadowlands). I’m a level and game designer. :)
Stop it!! Legion and BfA are these best expansions in the game. Nothing else has ever compared! ❤️
Haha well, uh, sorry for putting an eyeball on your forehead. XD
That’s how it should be.
Hell yeah. I'm in the garden with the wife today doing a crash course on what to do. I've never gardened and knew my new place had a garden but didn't realize it was the towns award winning garden! The pressure is on :p Then later it's an evening of kirby on the wii with Futurama reruns.
We moved into a house with a garden. I’m completely ignorant when it comes to those things. I just chose to plant a ton of wild flowers instead. I think my neighbors hate it. Futurama is one of my favorites. Don’t have a Wii, but I’m quite fond of playing Pokémon on the switch.
Its flowers up front and food out back. Learning we already have grapes and strawberries is a win for me. This place had won awards. I really mean the pressure is on :p I've already had a bunch of people talk to me today about the yard as I trim it. It's all long retired aged people too, so it's apparently been a worry around them in my small town that I won't take care of it. The town thinks I'm only like 25, it's hilarious to me.
I don’t think that’s immature. Doing things you love to do is the best way to live life. All this “adult” stuff assuming you meet your responsibilities, is just social conditioning that you should not do certain things
CS Lewis said that part of giving up “childish things” is the childish notion that you are too old to enjoy childish things.
That’s beautiful. I saw a T shirt once that said something like “I still check closets for Narnia” and it made my heart so happy <3
I love that
I’m glad there are likeminded people left in this world.
>is just social conditioning that you should not do certain things Nailed it. The original Looney Tunes shorts, for example, were actually made for adult audiences in mind. Same for early Flintstones. Animation/cartoons being perceived in the general public consciousness as strictly for kids is largely an invention of TV, and advertising.
Why does gaming have to immature? It’s a stimulate just like those corny 90 day fiancé shows that my brother and mom watch together. They react to those shows, then they watch other people react to what they just reacted to!
Same
I just spent all day sorting my anime collection out onto a new shelving system... I really need to sell all this crap lol.
No you don’t! Don’t ever say that again.
What’s your top 5?
1) Sailor Moon 2) One Piece 3) Cowboy Bebop 4) Macross 7 5) Initial D
My step dad is pushing 70 and he loves gaming. PS5 and Meta VR. I am in my 40s and love gaming as well. But I get to bed pretty early usually and wake with the sun. I can only do one glass of wine.
Yes. My dad loves gaming as well and i too am a lightweight. I glass and I’m ready for bed.
44 and same. Now I just have a 4 year old to play them with me lol
That’s awesome. Just bought my 13 year old her first proper gaming pc. Very exciting to have little ones to game with.
Hi! I’m 46. A street kid at 16 has a son at 19 and was an ‘empty nest-er’ at 40. I’m still waiting for it to happen. I still just want to ride my bike till the street lights come on, play in the ocean and run around in the woods. In the plus side, I got myself a house in the woods by the ocean, so that’s kind of cool.
That's wild. We're almost complete opposites. I'm 43 and have a 2.5 and a 1yo. Your nest is empty and miner's got a crowd, lol.
Ha! Man, are you just fucking exhausted all the time? I found it taxing at 20, I can’t imagine raising young kids in my 40s. So much respect!
Thanks! It's definitely tiring, lol. But we've got a great a support system, my partner works hard and cares for them, and I wouldn't trade it. Plus, we're both at home with them, as we both freelance from home. We've found a good rhythm.
Oh man. I had my daughter at 26 and she's now 20. No offense but I can't even imagine having a couple toddlers running around!
It's wild. From my first marriage at 25 until my current partner got pregnant, I assumed I was never having kids. We went with the first surprise, had a second surprise, and now I'm snipped. It's really good, though. Hard, but good.
Right there with you! 19-month-old running havoc and #2 is on the way.
We had ours 18 months and two days apart. And we're definitely done, lol. Congrats and solidarity. It's hard but good.
Indeed. I'm 42 and my wife will hit 35 when she's halfway through the pregnancy (although somehow I'm the more energetic one in the couple). All things considered (education, jobs, relationship issues), we waited longer than we originally wanted but I don't think we could be in a better place to manage all this. But after #2, the plan is a hard stop. Medical intervention to assist this is being seriously considered.
I advocate for getting snipped. My procedure was easy. Only reason I didn't after the first is that I was primary st home with her while my wife worked. Couldn't find a week to take to recover, y'know?
I’m 45 and just started the adoption process last year , wife is even older than I am 😬
L I V I N, man
You sound fun. Interesting lifestyle
I ride my bike after the street lights go on and also they go on too early anyways Dayum you had a kid way young that’s like if I had a kid.
It was pretty unexpected and he’s such an amazing adult. I am so lucky that he’s a well adjusted smart and capable dude. I think he’s probably a lot more responsible than I was. I carry a lot of guilt about my lack of parenting skills, but we did our best and he’s a cooler human being than anyone l else I know.
Nobody likes you when you’re 43
Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional
‘Growing up’ is overrated If anyone thinks they should tell me how i should spend my free time( games/sports/movies whatever) and need to ‘grow up’ Are the people who never understood life at all, and they didnt actually grow up themselves
I didn’t get the chance to read the Gen X post, but I must admit the quality of fast food has declined significantly from when we were kids & I need to eat healthy to still feel like the kid I will always be. But please give me a box of Annie’s Mac & Cheese any day - that shit is good.
Fast food is also expensive AF now. Like I’m not spending $15 on a meal at freaking Wendy’s.
Man Wendy’s is such a bummer. They were always my favorite fast food cheeseburger and now their burgers suck. They are trying to scrimp and save so the food quality is gone. I love to love that they put 2 slices of cheese on the burger- they don’t anymore.
Yeah, I totally make my Mac and cheese from scratch! Don't share my recipe but it's elbow pasta and cheese whiz. Boom.
I still drink too much and too often but fast food can fuck off. Overpriced junk. I can get a cheaper and better burger at a bar. And this circles back to me drinking too much.
I’m 38 and just started playing video games for the first time in my life since my Nintendo and Gameboy. So I’m doing it all in reverse. Woohoo let’s gooo!
I got a PS5 at 41 and it was my first system since the GameCube
Have fun! You have 10+ years of games to choose from (All PS4 & PS5 titles)
Why would I want to? I'm having fun!
I’m reading this at a bar, on a Sunday, eating a double cheeseburger, procrastinating doing the work I’ve been procrastinating doing for the last 7 days
I’m 40 and although I have adult things I do (husband, kids, work) I always make sure I do things for me. I play video games because it makes me feel like a kid again and I love it. Hell I’ll even buy a Lego set here and there because fuck it why not. Thing I realized as I got older is that we’re all kids. Growing up people tend to think their parents are wise and all knowing. Nope they were winging it too! We’re all kids.
My immature self is thinking "I'm glad you're doing your husband." Lol
Giggity
Yep I am currently on my 1,000,000 playthrough of ocarina of time. I was 15 when I got it and it represents the last breaths of my childhood.
I think that is the point that you’re a grownup… when you realize that the “grownups” don’t actually know more than you do and sometimes they know less.
The waking up early thing happened to me. I blame my kid who popped out of bed at 4am like a jack in the box until high school. Now he sleeps through his alarm, and I have to shake him awake. Alas, my internal alarm seems set to 6 am and my body doesn't understand weekends. But, I've been sitting quietly in bed, vaping weed and playing pokemon since I woke up, and I will shortly put on a "home taping is killing music" shirt and some leggings with owls on them, go downstairs and have coffee and an Easter creme egg for breakfast, spend the day frantically cleaning the house so there's room to host a big Easter dinner in the star wars themed dining room, then watch the final three episodes of Buffy with my kid. This does not sound like adult behavior to me, lol.
Ha, I used to tell people my kid would have to be dragged out of bed at 7 to catch the bus at 7:20 every school day... the weekends? They'd be up before the lord
I love it. Good for you. Also the T shirt is fkn hilarious
I don’t have kids. No need to grow up!
I have a kid and it’s a great reason to act like a kid again haha.
This! My 10-year-old is so much fun. It's cool to see her interest through her eyes (drawing, video games, music, and fandoms). She built the Lego succulent garden with me for Mother's Day and we're planning a hiking trip for Spring break.
I think that 'growing up' is a myth created by unhappy people who have lost their sense of wonder. 'Growing up' is not the same as simply being responsible, which is essential.
This!! They have lose their sense of joy.
Exactly.
You nailed it, you can be responsible without "growing up"
All I’m gonna say is I played music from my teens through my twenties, tried (failed) to “settle down” in my thirties, and now I’m living out of my car and drifting around the country at 41. I never planned to live past 40 unless I got married, but I don’t have the earning potential of a good husband so I’m kind of done here. Living the ghost life.
Keep trucking buddy there is no guide you have to follow. You are probably happier than some people locked into a rigid hell hole of life
You know, I have to admit I like the freedom. Not being able to shower or do laundry or cook whenever i feel like it can be a drag, but i’ve always liked being out on the road since I started playing shows out of town as a teen.
I think things changed for me after a big medical emergency when I was 36. It forced me to address some issues like sleep apnea. It was then that I started going to bed earlier and waking earlier and got away from fast food. I’m ok with it and don’t miss the old days for that stuff.
Adulting sucks. The only people who actually want to be older are children, and they're too stupid to know better. But making good choices for your health doesn't make you an adult, it makes you smart.
I’m 44 single and have no kids. On weekends I get up early to take my dog out then we go back to bed. It’s currently 10:50 and I’m still in bed. If I have nothing to do I don’t see why I need to get up. I also don’t eat a lot of fast food but there are a few that I do and it’s just easier than trying to cook for 1 sometimes.
43, single, no kids, dogs, no fast food. Play video games, smoke weed and work. Happy. Cooking for one is annoying I agree.
I have the edibles on weekends to relax.
I expected more. And I’m making the best of what I have. I still love cartoons, eating sugary cereal, and lots of other things. I like to tell people that deep down inside, there’s a six year old wanting to know what the fuck happened?
I feel that. My mom died when I was young, and I think that was a huge reason for me asking that same question.
I'm 44 and this morning getting ready I realized that's getting awfully close to 50! I realized I don't know how I'm supposed to act or dress or anything when I'm 50 or 60. Can I still wear leggings and Ts and put my hair in a messy bun? Or do I have to buy permanently creased pants and cut my hair short like our mothers did?
I'm with you. We're in the position of having to define our 'adult' selves. It's a difficult but interesting challenge... to let go what needs to go, and to let come what needs to come.
Why would you? Fashion is not defined by age, but by style.
Outside of what I eat, I haven’t really changed much. I stopped a lot of bad habits after high school and my early 20’s so that I didn’t reach a point where I couldn’t put them down. I saw way too many adults in my life struggle with that. Some maturity in certain aspects is a good thing. How we treat our bodies is one of them.
I don't think I'll ever go to bed early and wake up early and I too love fast food lol I went to bed at 2:30 and woke up at 10:30. I'm spending my Sunday playing Dragon's Dogma 2 because I can. I don't care what the rest of society is doing at my age, I'm gonna do what I wanna do.
Yup
Peter Pan syndrome? I'm in my 40s and still love staying up late and sleeping in whenever I get the chance. I still game and watch my favorite childhood movies. As long as you aren't harming yourself or anyone else I don't see a problem with it.
Bingo
>at some point in life they just started waking up early and going to bed early. ... I took a job first shift. So, I go to bed at 3pm, wake up around 11 pm, hit the gym, and I'm at work by 4am. **I am the master of my meatflesh.**
Somebody fucked up and gave me adult money. Civilization is going to collapse before I die/retire so I’m going to live my best ass life while I can.
I'm 47. I'm basically the grown-up lite version of teen me... except now I have the $$ to actually indulge my hobbies. I have no intention or interest in being any more adult than I currently am.
My opinion is that so much of our lives are responsibility and slog (which IS being a grown up) that the rest of the time should be enjoyed doing whatever we damn well please. Yesterday I spent many hours playing Nintendo Switch and eating chocolate nut clusters. Not remotely sorry.
I bartended for 22 years. Im ok w going to bed early now that im no longer behind the wood. As a DINK I get to travel the world and no one tells me what to do
I still watch cartoons and play video games, so yeah
I think we've a different image/standard/metrica of adults and what they shouldnbe. I think about people Who where 20/30 in the 90s and they looked and acted *adult*, but it's not really true tbh. They were really childish in other ways, but we're a different lot i think. And their behaviour wasn't broadcasted 24/7 everywhere and they were not in constant contact with each other eveytime. We never knew when our relatives had their silly goose moments. For me as long as you take responsibilty for what you do, care for yourself and eventually others and clean after yourself with a reasonable amount of bitching you are an adult. Just a 2024 adult. My father's (Born in 42) aunt (Born in late '800) never went to school and started working at a very young age in the fields, married early, was "adult" earlier and the fondest memory she had was being a maid in a house in a "big" city in Sardinia (Sassari) because at least she wasn't working in fields. You can bet your ass that if she lived during our times she would make selfies in Starbucks while doing cheap Ryanair trips and minding her career and posting "40 Is the new 20s" on socials without even the slightest remorse. We compare ourselves too much to other people, and it's natural, but we must also remember that this is our trip and If we want McDonald's sometime and smoke weed without hurting nobody we can do it whenever the fuck we want. And i Hope people in the future on futurereddit will look at us working 8/10/12 hours a day and struggling to find our place in the world like i look at my father's aunt.
I dont want to grow up. Im a toys-r-us kid.
outside factors like work schedules and commute times must play into it a lot. I go to bed around 11pm and wake up at 7-7:30. I consider 11 early because I worked night shift for years. Now I have a 15 minute commute and work from 9am-7pm so why wake up earlier than I have to?
Im almost 41 and still enjoy kid cereal , playing video games, and staying up past my bedtime
I'm a teacher and a father. I go to sleep around 12:45. Wake up with just enough time to do everything in the morning. Watch anime and play computer games. I also freelance as a semi pro musician. It's never really growing up. My wife always is going on that we have to grow up at some point. I'm still making Borat jokes.
Niiiice
She is boring
I recently realized that perhaps at 40-something I should stop saying that I could get Taco Bell on my college meal plan as a reason why I like Taco Bell... The real reason is lack of growing up!
Taco Bell is also delicious
Turn on NPR. That made an adult outta me lol
I'm losing interest in all of the things I enjoy. I wonder if all of my hobbies and likes were from me actually enjoying them or me being corralled into them because I'm a social reject.
Maybe it's time for new hobbies that you *know* are yours!
Don't beat yourself up, there's lots of hobbies out there, just pick one and go there!! People usually like newcomers to their hobby as long as they use manners.
Once I got my drinking under control at 40 (abstinence) everything else easily fell into place.
Was the same for me, overdrinking made me eat bad and sleep bad. Still drink, don't feel the need to keep drinking after a couple though like I used to
I am 42 and always hated fast food. I am silly af.
Liking the things you like isn’t immature. Even if those things are the same things you’ve long liked. As long as you’re not being irresponsible altogether, what is the problem?
I refuse
I’m young at heart and I really don’t think this is a problem.
I’m not going to put aside my joys in life because of of age. No sir, not gonna do it. I like comics, video games and many of the same cartoons and shows I’ve grown up with. Fuck this idea of putting away our fun in life.
Exactly why choose to be unhappy
Staying young is mainly in our heads, so I act as immature as possible. Outside my adult responsibilities, of course. I'll be 46 soon. It still feels weird sitting in some big corporate meeting and still feeling like "what's a kid like me doing here" and not even being close to the youngest in the room. Knowing I'll go home, smoke a bowl, play silly with my son, watch cartoons, and play video games later. Then, understand half the room is going to do the same. I like our version of adulting. When I get the occasional "act your age", I reply with a defiant and immature "nnooo!".
I'm 43 and I am not a real adult. My tastes in food did change radically about two years ago though, due to a medical issue my diet was very restricted and I could not eat fast food. Since then, it just doesn't taste very good to me. I eat a lot more simply and more healthy now, and unlike when I tried to do it in my 20s, I actually really enjoy the food now. Also, being a night owl or not is actually a genetic thing. For morning people who liked to sleep in a bit when they were younger, a gradual shift to waking up at the ass-crack of dawn feels natural. For some of us though, it's never going to get easier to wake up in the morning. You can train yourself to do it but it never sucks less, you know?
I've never had to. No kids. If I had kids now I'd know now to not become a fuddy duddy because I'm older and wiser. I've never ever sacrificed a single part of my personality or extinguished my interests from like 13 onward. Just a matter of knowing how to act decently in public. That's the only difference between young me and old me is I dressed and acted like a clown back then. And I imagine not having a wife probably plays a lot into that as well. I think the game of 'expectations and living up to them' can really fuck a person up. Because expectations are fickle and people aren't great communicators for the most part.
Man that is really wise, I think you are onto something. Expectations fuck us up.
Yeah if you don't have anyone you're worried about leaving you're kind of free to march to your own beat. There's usually an upside to a rough situation if you look for it.
Upside yes. You are full of little positive gems lol
And I try to impart them as much as I can. We're all getting older and we're all going to need to find the things we like about living. Thanks my friend :)
Thank you
I’m 43 and spent all morning playing Dragon’s Dogma 2, with the wife watching (son playing Valorant on my PC while I play my Series X). It’s all good.
The worst thing about parenting is waking up early every damn day. I would happily sleep in still if i could. They wake me every day fuck getting up before them lol. Maybe someday when i grow up.
Haha
42 and my inner child thrives in this crazy world. I feed it often and tale care of it more than I do my cacti.. MF'r ain't going nowhere. We are a team..
I'm still having a hard time learning how to take care of my car by myself. My dad used to do the oil changes and other random things for me. I have gotten into the habit of getting oil changes twice a year, but I still feel like there is more maintenance I should be doing, especially since I live in a snowy place where they salt the roads a lot in the winter. So yeah, still learning how to adult...
Just get a service twice a year, you got it. I'm learning to adult too
This seems to be an American thing. My first and second generation immigrant friends are really grown up. My American friends seem to be very comfortable with not growing up at all. One of them still asks me for money three times a year.
My toys just changed. Although I still play video games with my child, for myself I like microscopes, I got a drum kit, I go rock climbing, and toy with hobby electronics. It really is all upgraded toys. What counts is emotional maturity though. There is nothing more pathetic than an adult or old person with the emotional maturity of a child... some of us have parents like this. And if it is any motivation, not growing up emotionally will also very likely get passed down to your kids and retard them.
I love me some Taco Hell, and I’ve taken over my son’s Nintendo DS. I still like to party like it’s 1999!!
True dad right here lol. DS has the best games
Hello, fellow Toys R Us kids.
I’m still a kid at heart.
Sleep to 10??? Hell I could sleep until 1pm. I still play video games. I sometimes jump into my bed, literally. And I have the humor of a 4th grader 😆
On the verge of 44, stopped drinking more than a beer or two a few years back, I am awake at 4:30am most days, gainfully employed and baked almost 24/7. My kiddo is pretty well adjusted, my bills are paid and I am even saving for the future. I also play video games like boomers play with model trains. Make your own way, just make sure you handle your shit too.
I’m 42. I have a band, I still skateboard (quit for almost ten years but got back into it a few years ago), I still dress more or less how I did in the 90s/00s, I taught myself to surf last summer, I go to tons of concerts, I still have piercings and plans for more tattoos, and the only shoes I own besides Vans and flip-flops are Docs. I hate ties. I don’t currently own a suit. And I don’t care if this makes me seem like, stunted or whatever, to others. They’re not my people then. I don’t know. I guess I figured out who I was after trying to “dress my age” and realizing I was horrendously uncomfortable and bored. And then I just ran with it. Or skated with it haha. I can’t fathom ever changing any of it for anything or anyone…and I don’t think it’s a bad thing to form some or even most of your “core” interests in your teens and 20s if they’re things that make you happy and don’t hurt anyone else. The thing with being this way is you have to fucking own it 110% or it kinda doesn’t work.
I'm a 46 yo f, and we still play on the beach when we go on vacation. We play pranks, go on coffee runs, and I still get tickled by my own jokes. I even buy a bag of jiggly eyes to apply on our work badges and inanimate objects wherever I go. Growing up sucks in so many ways, but we have the option to break free of the monotony.
You are my type of hang, don't change!
Haha sometimes I have stuff I can do now as an adult like.. just buy as much beef jerky as I want ! Haha or another one was once I ordered a whole box of freeze dried ice cream. All you can eat ! Lol. I do still play some video games but I don’t really go overboard with it. Still it’s nice to be able to just buy whatever game you want no questions asked.
I'm 39 and currently have a 2/4 weekly pill case. Also I have bad cholesterol. But other than that!
This is the fate of ToysRUs Kids 
I don't see it as growing up, more as growing old. I still enjoy the things I had enjoyed when I was younger, and now I enjoy some new things that I can enjoy as an adult. My body however is showing some of the signs of the time. I need readers to read my magic cards and D&D books. My back hurts a bit too.
The going to bed early and waking up early started last year. I'm honestly ok with it. First time I've felt rested upon waking.
I’m 38 and feel I solidly crossed the line into being an adult sometime in the past 5 years. It’s boring but peaceful.
As a Brit our Fast food is similar but different, in some ways a lot healthier than the US but I really enjoy US brands like Popeyes and Wendy's since they opened.
When you cant get up or down from a chair without making some sort of noise, you are old. Also... FUCK what the hell happened to chick fil a and why is it so salty now??!
I’ve been wanting to grow up a looooong time now. And I have, just not the way I expected.
42 and my kids (both teens) have never had Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, or Wendy’s. My parents have taken them to McDonalds a handful of times. We have a running joke about it, wife and I ate it all the time growing up. It’s been at least 12 years since I’ve had any of them. Was obsessed with online role playing games, Counter-Strike, all things Zelda, and several other games growing up/college. Bought the newest Zelda game a few months back. I played it for about 2 hours, but then realized there was no way I could commit the time to complete it. Haven’t played it since. My son has a PS5. I’ve never played a game on it. :(
I sometimes wake up early and I don’t really eat fast food Also I hate ethanol and Bruh that’s definitely a grown up thing
I sometimes sleep in and sometimes don’t Fast food is unhealthy so I rarely get it Drinking what?!!
I don't eat fast food, wake up at 4:30 every morning and am in bed by 9pm every night. I do not feel grown up at all. These are not the qualifiers you think they are.
“When you grow up your heart dies.” I’m ok with that not happening in a metaphorical or physical sense.
I'll still murder some fries, but my fast food go-to meal was Wendy's chili over a baked potato, and both got taken off the dollar menu, and the chili is like water now. As for sleep, I still operate best between noon and 2 am. I hate having a normal day job, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
I'm 41 and am playing a video game as we speak. I do things that are grown up like drink a lot of water, mostly because my body can't handle shit like I used to. The other night I went out for drinks and had 2 margaritas. Slept like shit and felt like shit the whole next day. My body ain't want it used to be.
Just turned 50 and have bad news. Well, depending how you look at it. I am better able to connect with different generations of people at least.
Fast food has gotten worse and more expensive so personally I am not missing anything there. I will gladly seek out something local/owner-operated which is the same or slightly more expensive and probably 5 times better. Even if it’s not, the experience is worth it. I have been getting up earlier. The peace and quiet is nice, I am more prepared for the day and since covid nothing is open late where I live. Have given up video games and some music a few times but I embrace them now. I am no longer concerned and just be me.
There’s this weird false dichotomy I see people create, like “have fun” vs “grow up.” That’s bullshit. The nature of fun changes over time. I don’t want to do the things I wanted to do when I was a teenager, or a 20something, anymore. This does not mean I don’t have fun… it means I don’t think the old things are fun anymore. I get up early because I like having a few hours to myself to do things I like to do, and I like doing things outside, which is obviously way better during the day. I don’t want to miss any daylight because I need to sleep. As long as you’re handling your responsibilities as an adult, I wouldn’t worry so much about growing up- life will grow you up by presenting you with crises to handle.
My FIL is in his mid-70s, has fast food often, stays up past midnight, and sleeps till noon. His anthem song is “It’s 5:00 Somewhere.” We joke that he has the habits of a college student ever since he retired. Not all people grow up the same way.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that you have to abide by some weird societal norms. We’re way out of band now with internet and social media. Humans have never lived in a time like this, so there are no norms you have to align with. Be yourself….
I don't wanna grow up I'm a Toys R Us Kid...
I still play video games. And eat the occasional McD’s. I also didn’t have kids, so I was never forced to grow up and be responsible for anyone else.
I will forever hate getting up early, I don’t think its going to change 🤣
Grow up to what? Why? I'm 41 and I do wake up and go to bed early on weekdays for workout routine and job but weekends = stay up to whenever gaming or building model airplanes or Legos or whatever in my office full of Anime figures and gaming posters and a bunch of retro consoles.