Adults no longer believe growing up has an endpoint

Adults are increasingly comparing their emotional maturity with that of their parents at the same age, according to new data from the Hint App, in a finding that adds to the ongoing debate about how adulthood is being experienced across generations.

The survey, which collected responses from 14,500 users aged 18 to 45 across the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and Latin America, found that 62% believe they are less emotionally capable than their parents were in their twenties or early thirties. The data points to a broader pattern of uncertainty around emotional readiness and the expectations associated with adulthood.

Alongside this comparison, 58% of respondents said they regularly feel overwhelmed by responsibilities they associate with being an adult, including managing finances, maintaining routines, and sustaining long-term relationships. Just over half (51%) said they feel they are still developing emotional resilience well into adulthood, with no clear point at which it feels fully established.

The findings also suggest that self-assessment of emotional maturity has become a more constant feature of everyday life. Around 47% of respondents reported frequently questioning whether their emotional reactions are appropriate or sufficiently “mature” in day-to-day situations. In qualitative responses, many described adulthood less as a fixed stage and more as an ongoing process of adjustment, shaped by comparison with previous generations and shifting social expectations.

These patterns sit alongside wider discussions about economic pressure, changing workplace structures, and the influence of digital environments on self-perception. While adulthood has traditionally been associated with relatively defined milestones such as home ownership, career stability, and early family formation, the Hint App data suggests these markers are now less predictable or delayed in many contexts.

Kirill Liakh, Managing Director at Hint App, said the findings reflect changing reference points for adulthood rather than a straightforward decline in emotional capability.

“What stands out is the scale of comparison across generations,” he said. “People are not necessarily saying they are less capable, but that the idea of what adulthood should look like no longer aligns with their lived experience. The expectations remain, but the structure around them has changed.”

For some respondents, this gap is felt most acutely in everyday life. Mara, 29, from London, described a sense of ongoing uncertainty despite managing practical responsibilities.

“I can manage things on paper,” she said. “Bills, work, relationships. But emotionally, it often feels like I am figuring it out in real time. It is not chaos, it just does not feel as settled as I thought adulthood would be.”

Across regions, similar themes emerged, particularly among younger adults navigating housing instability, shifting employment patterns, and increased social comparison through digital platforms. Rather than indicating a uniform loss of confidence, the data suggests a more fragmented experience of adulthood, in which competence in some areas coexists with uncertainty in others.

Taken together, the findings point less to a decline in emotional maturity than to a shift in how it is defined and measured. As traditional life milestones become less linear and more unevenly distributed, adulthood appears increasingly shaped by ongoing negotiation between expectation, environment, and self-perception.

About Hint App:
Hint App is a symbolic, emotional insight platform with over 1.2 million users that combines ancient practices such as astrology, palmistry, and visual soulmate interpretations with modern technology, including artificial intelligence and NASA astronomical data, to deliver highly personalized reports based on a user’s exact birth details. Rather than offering predictions or quick fixes, Hint App serves as a reflective framework, helping individuals map emotional patterns, understand the deeper timing behind personal and relationship decisions, and reconnect with their inner clarity.

Media Contact:
Hint America Inc.
pr@hint.app
Leigh Roberts
PR manager