Young adults share their stories of growing up in a post-pandemic world

In a post-pandemic world, we are constantly told that young people are floundering. They’re behind academically, addicted to their phones, and unable to manage their mental health struggles. Yet, for all the talk about who young people are, how many have listened to how they define themselves?

Since 2020, author Meika Loe has followed a diverse group of college-educated 18-to-28-year-olds transitioning to adulthood during a period of dramatic social change. In Zigzag Adulting, she shares their stories of friendships and breakups, working and paying off debt, and attending to their own health and well-being. She reveals their ambivalence towards social media and their struggles with isolation. She also addresses the systemic obstacles they face, from increasing social inequality and political polarization to the ongoing emergency of global warming.

The pandemic gave these college-educated cohorts time to reflect on their personal values and to deepen their attentiveness to activism, collective grief, and meaningful work. The result is a generation that values mental health, self-development, belonging, and connection as significant markers of success. While they may be living in an uncertain world, their nimbleness and adaptability have served them well in the evolving arenas of work, health, and relationships. Rather than speaking over the new generation, Zigzag Adulting instead asks what young people can teach us about the meaning of “adulthood” in an era of radical change.