It’s safe to assume that quite a few people have wished there was a manual on how to “do life” at least once in their life. Especially when the teenage years were over and they had to face the joys and troubles of adulthood.
Canadian content creator ‘Johnfluenzer’ tried making the lives of such people just a little bit easier. In a video that went viral on TikTok, he discussed eight important things to remember once you become an adult. Scroll down to find them on the list below.
TikToker John went viral after he discussed things to keep in mind when entering the adult years
Image credits: johnfluenzer
"All right, here's the list of stuff you need to start doing now that you're an adult. Welcome to being an adult. Maybe you weren't told this by your parents, but this is through my trial and error."
1. Annual doctor visit
"Go to the doctor once a year if you can. I'm Canadian, so it's covered for us. So go once a year. Obviously, if you have more medical concerns, you go more often, but in Canada, you should be at least going once a [year] for an annual checkup."
Image credits: National Cancer Institute (not the actual photo)
2. Dentist
"You should be going at least, at the very least, one cleaning a year. Well, I know it's expensive, but just one cleaning a year, one checkup. You should be going more but if all you can afford is once, then do it. Keep in mind that a $300 cavity can turn into a $1,500 root canal, which could then turn into a $2,000 crown on top of the $1,500 you just paid. So it's better to just pay the $300 or whatever it is for a cavity and just get it sorted.
If you can't afford a dentist, and you're in Toronto, go to U of T dental school. They'll do anything that dentists can do at a fraction of the cost. So I remember back in the day, I needed a tooth pulled and my dentist told me it would be, let's say, like $300 (I can't remember). And he's like, 'I know you can't afford it'. Because I couldn't. He's like, "Go to the U of T dental school. They'll do it for you. They did it for $25. Can't be beat."
Image credits: Quang Tri NGUYEN (not the actual photo)
3. STI/STD check-up
"If you're sexually active, go for an STI/STD check-up. You're having sex - you need to go get this stuff checked out. If you're uncomfortable with your GP or you don't have a GP, go to a sexual health clinic. They'll do it for you. And in Toronto, they're free. So just go get tested. It's better to know."
Image credits: Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 (not the actual photo)
4. Vaccines
"Be up on your vaccines, not just your flu shots. We were talking about Hep A and Hep B. Also if you're under 25, get your Gardasil 9. It's three shots. It prevents the cancer-causing HPV. So get that, okay. And it's covered by the Ontario government. So get your vaccines."
Image credits: Ed Us (not the actual photo)
5. PEP
"If you had a risky sexual encounter and you're worried about HIV, go to the emergency room and get PEP (post-exposure prophylactic). It reduces your chances of getting HIV by like 90-something percent. You want to take it within the first 72 hours. And God forbid you are assaulted, go to a hospital. They'll give it to you for free. Just go get it."
Image credits: insung yoon (not the actual photo)
6. Rent first
"We're in a housing crisis. Your rent should be the first thing that you take care of every month. It comes before everything. Now maybe if you have kids and they need to eat, of course, that's important, but a roof over their head is way more important and you do not want to give landlords any excuse to have you evicted. Pay your rent and pay it on time."
Image credits: Toa Heftiba (not the actual photo)
7. Cell phone
"I know we all want the new cell phones. Keep your phone as long as possible. I don't care if it's an iPhone 10 or iPhone 8, I will keep it for as long as possible. Especially if you're under no contract.
You have so much freedom - you can switch your cell provider every month and get deals from all the different providers [that] they'll offer for new customers that they won't offer you for staying. Don't fall for their bulls**t 'will give you the new phone for $20 a month'. No, keep the phone you have. Go to a cheaper provider and save $40-$50 a month."
Image credits: Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 (not the actual photo)
8. Subscriptions
"Controversial. You only need one subscription a month. Now I know it sounds ridiculous. I'm not talking about music. You can keep the music every month. But I'm talking about streaming services.
You don't need Netflix, Disney, Hulu, whatever... you don't need them all in the same month. January do Netflix, cancel February, do Hulu, and go on. All of these different apps let you save watchlists, right, like 'my list'. And if you cancel your subscription and you restart it two months later, your list is still there. So just save stuff. Only pay for it once a month and try to save some money."
Image credits: Nicolas J Leclercq (not the actual photo)
John’s video received over 2.4 million views on TikTok
Young people nowadays seem to stress about becoming adults more than the generations before them
It’s no secret that transitioning from the somewhat carefree teenage years to adulthood typically brings more responsibilities and things on the to-do list, which are often accompanied by stress. Even though such a sequence of phases in life is something none of us can escape, research suggests that back in the day, it didn’t cause as much anxiety as it does now.
After comparing the levels of maturity fears of men and women assessed in 1982, 1992, 2002, and 2012, a study found that the more recent generations seemed to be more reluctant to enter the adult years. There might not be one clear reason for that, but the contributing factors reportedly include challenging economic times, pressure to remain youthful, and internal fears in regards to increasing responsibilities.
Carried out just a few years later, in 2018, a survey of young adults in the UK revealed that as many as one-in-five of them felt extremely stressed or overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed. Nearly as many admitted feeling stressed over the fear of making mistakes and around a half were stressed because of their body image and appearance.
Moreover, roughly seven-in-ten people in the US believe the older generations had it easier than young adults now, in regards to saving up, paying for college, or buying a home. With so much anxiety and struggles surrounding becoming an adult, it’s no surprise that the youngsters nowadays are not too thrilled about it.
Lack of expectations can add to the stress of becoming an adult
Another reason young people might be fearful of entering the adult section of life is lack of expectations. Even though it might sound like a relief to some, their absence can come with a set of challenges, too.
“Whether these expectations were set by their parents, their university, or society, there used to be clarity over the ‘correct’ course of action to take (whether or not they agreed with it). This clarity is now replaced by the ambiguity of adulthood,” psychologist Mark Travers explained in a piece for Psychology Today.
The expert continued to point out that people tend to view such ambiguity as a negative experience, when it doesn’t necessarily have to be. That’s why he suggested reframing it to make transitioning into the adult world easier on a young person. In order to do that, Travers emphasized that it’s important for them to give themselves a break and not strive for perfection always, as well as to set their own pace for major life events and lifestyle changes.
The psychologist added that once they have found the right balance that works for them, they can take inspiration from other people; and that’s when content such as John’s video about things to do when you’re a grown-up can come in handy.
Fellow TikTokers shared their thoughts in the comments under the video
