A new study has revealed that a third of British adults struggle with everyday 'adulting' tasks such as cooking, meal planning, and keeping plants alive. The poll of 2,000 adults found that many also find car maintenance, managing finances, and getting out of bed on time challenging.
The research, commissioned by AI-powered search engine Heywa, shows that 49% of participants have used AI at least once to help with grown-up responsibilities. 11% use AI daily for such tasks. People find AI most useful for turning complex instructions into step-by-step guides (32%), explaining jargon in plain English (27%), and creating visual explainers for DIY or cooking (25%).
Interestingly, the struggle is not limited to younger generations. While 52% of Gen Zs find adulting difficult, 47% of Millennials, a quarter of Gen X, and 10% of Boomers also need help. Many turn to the internet (45%), friends and family (61%), and books (23%) for advice.
ChatGPT has become the third most common platform for online searching (24%), behind YouTube (32%) and Google (65%). Nearly half of those polled believe their online search style reflects their personality, with over a third preferring short exchanges for quick information, while 16% opt for a more courteous approach.
Milena Nikolic, founder of Heywa, said: 'From cooking to DIY to managing finances, a lot of us still feel like we’re learning on the job. We aim to make things simpler, clearer and more accessible.' Consumer psychologist Kate Nightingale added that everyone has a unique 'Online Language' and wants guidance that fits their personality and lifestyle.
