Full-blown adulthood: does it actually start at 50?
Source: Guardian Health ↗
According to a new survey, that’s the age when people feel most confident and in control of their lives. In other words, they no longer have a chairdrobe ... Don’t you mean frazzled ? Come on, wouldn’t you say you’re more together now than you were at 20, or even 30? Who says I’m not still in my 20s? Why are we comparing ages anyway? A new survey has found that 50 is the age at which Brits feel “most confident and in control of their lives”. And what source do we have to thank for this? British Gas commissioned the survey of 2,000 British adults. Getting the boiler serviced is one way to feel like a grown up, I suppose. The survey found that recycling, putting clothes away and knowing when bin day is were widely-agreed-upon indicators that someone had “got it together”. What’s wrong with a chairdrobe?
It’s a perfectly workable system! It’s a pile of clothes, is what it is. Respondents also said that having a litter-free car, spare batteries to hand and washing up after a dinner party, instead of leaving it till the next day, were signs of adulthood. I knew I was right to buy that bulk pack of triple As. It’s when you’ve got a spare CR2032 battery that you know you’re really nailing it. These do seem somewhat low or arbitrary bars for having your life together . Oh, so you want to hold people to owning a car, or buying a house, or becoming a parent? Not in this economy. True. But surely there are more meaningful markers of maturity than making your bed, or drinking two litres of water a day? As if you do either every day. You’re right, though: the top-rated sign you’ve got your life under control was making regular savings.
Surely it’s what’s on the inside that counts for adulthood, not what’s in your bank account. The next top indicators were enjoying your own company, admitting when you’re wrong and saying no to things you don’t want to do. OK, those are way tougher than knowing when bin day is. It does get confusing around the bank holidays … You’re telling me that you have to be 50 to be on top of all this? That’s the average age respondents felt most in control of their lives. But 30% said they felt nowhere near being sorted, while 56% thought no one ever really is. Didn’t we only just discover that the brain doesn’t reach adulthood until age 32, anyway? Yes, that was a Cambridge University finding last year, and probably more credible than this consumer research. So, if you think about it, by 50 you’ve only been a grown up for 18 years. Long enough to know to make your bed. Do say: “Actually, drinking two litres of water a day is excessive for most people .”
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economymedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Foreign direct investment decisions can hinge on how this plays out.
- ▶Multinational firms typically adjust their playbooks when stories like this break.
🏙️Local Economylow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Local wages and hours worked may bend slightly with the wider trend.
- ▶The knock-on for local trade is usually gradual rather than sudden.
🏦Rates & Banksmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶The next rate-setting meeting is a more likely trigger than this news alone.
- ▶Lenders usually reserve big rate moves for clearer economic signals.
❤️Healthlow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Modest, sensible precautions can go a long way here.
- ▶Everyday routines rarely need to change much once the facts are clear.
💷Wealthlow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Employers might see a knock-on cost if sick leave rises locally.
- ▶The financial side of health news is easy to overlook, but it adds up.
🏠Housinglow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Surveyors and valuers tend to factor in wider trends gradually, not overnight.
- ▶A slow-moving market like housing rarely reacts overnight.
🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 0.8% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.9% with inflation at 1.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 7.9%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at 0.7% with inflation at 7.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at 3.1% with inflation at 2.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.