Three in 10 Brits need help adulting – with many confessing they can’t cook, do basic DIY or make small talk.
A poll of 2,000 adults found other aspects of grown-up life they struggle with include meal planning, keeping plants alive and understanding politics.
While they also have difficulty getting to grips with car maintenance, managing finances, and getting out of bed on time.
It’s not just Gen Zs who struggle with meeting the demands of being a responsible adult (52 per cent) – Millennials (47 per cent), a quarter of Gen Xs and 10 per cent of Boomers also find they need help.
And 30 per cent have attempted to address such aspects of adult life - seeking advice from the internet (45 per cent), friends and family (61 per cent), and books (23 per cent).
Milena Nikolic, founder of new AI powered search engine Heywa, which commissioned the research for the launch of its Online Languages campaign, said: “The research shows adulting isn’t something a lot of people ever fully master.
“From cooking to DIY to managing finances, a lot of us still feel like we’re learning on the job.
“People have all sorts of ways they use AI and I’ve always believed that the process of searching for information should feel inspiring. So often our search ends with a sterile list – but we aim to make things simpler, clearer and more accessible.”
The study also found 11 per cent of participants use AI for adulting tasks on a daily basis, with 49 per cent of participants in total having done it at least once.
While people believe the most useful ways AI can help with grown-up responsibilities include turning complex instructions into step-by-step guides (32 per cent), explaining jargon in plain English (27 per cent) and creating visual explainers for DIY or cooking (25 per cent).
When it comes to improving adult stresses, 31 per cent believe a daily habit of a 10-minute walk would make their week better, as well as doing a five-minute evening tidy (22 per cent) and batch cooking (22 per cent).
But many believe there are parts of daily life in 2026 which needn’t be a strain anymore and should be automated.
These include tasks such as reading a gas or electricity meter (21 per cent), finding the best rates and prices for purchases (18 per cent) and managing finances and budgeting (17 per cent).
It was also revealed ChatGPT is now the third most common platform people use for online searching (24 per cent), below YouTube (32 per cent) and Google (65 per cent).
And people take different approaches to how they use AI, with 32 per cent opting to type quickly and get the information as quickly as possible, 19 per cent like to ask follow-ups to refine answers – and 16 per cent prefer a more courteous approach, making sure they phrase everything politely.
While 49 per cent of those polled via OnePoll say the way they search online – the language style, how organised their search sessions are – reflects their personality.
Consumer psychologist and behaviouralist, Kate Nightingale, has partnered with Heywa and added: “Everyone has their own unique ‘Online Language’ and as this research shows, people don’t just want answers - they want guidance in a way that fits their personality and lifestyle.
“We’ve identified five Online Languages - from the Talk It Out Conversationalist to the Moodboard Visualist - to help Brits understand their search style and get the most out of every search session.”
THE TOP 20 ADULT TASKS BRITS NEED THE MOST HELP WITH:
1. Doing basic DIY
2. Car maintenance
3. Managing finances and budgeting
4. Keeping the house clean and tidy
5. Building flat-pack furniture
6. Understanding mortgages and mortgage rates
7. Understanding insurance
8. Negotiating bills or contracts
9. Handling unexpected expenses
10. Cooking from scratch / cooking balanced meals
11. Understanding politics
12. Understanding credit scores
13. Managing time effectively
14. Doing laundry / ironing clothes correctly
15. Saving for emergencies
16. Planning weekly meals
17. Filing important paperwork
18. Changing bed sheets regularly
19. Reading a gas or electricity meter
20. Keeping plants alive
