‘What did you imagine you’d do as an adult that never came to pass’ – 23 things that never happened due to changing trends

Anyone who grew up watching Nescafé adverts in the 1980s might have imagined being a grown up involved drinking an awful lot of instant coffee with sultry neighbours. And then everyone got a cafetiere instead, or went to Costa.

They’ve been chatting about the small ways in which life didn’t turn out as expected on the AskUK subreddit after OpenCantaloupe4790 posted this:

What did you see adults doing around you and assume would also come to you one day (whether you wanted them to or not) but never came to pass because those things became obsolete or went out of fashion?

Some of mine were:

People would randomly phone or call at the house all the time. And they had to be invited in, even if we were eating, watching a live show, whatever. Now we are available on our phones 24/7 but expecting physical availability seems to have gone the other way and become only by arrangement. The home is less of a social hub.

Another was my mum spending what felt like hours surrounded by paper, cheque books, supposedly in the process of ‘paying bills’. And she had all these labelled box files that she kept this paper in. I imagined managing the mysterious papers of adulthood would be a big thing.

What about you?

And lots of people also felt like something is missing from life as a fully-fledged grown up, as the replies showed…

1.

‘Outfits ‘from day to night’ were mentioned a lot in the early 2000s when everyone all worked in person often in town and city centres then went out to bars afterwards. After 2020 the focus suddenly shifted to beige loungewear and work from home clothes. Comfort is a much bigger trend now, I never see young women dressed up in heels and skirts like we used to, they dress in a much more unisex way now.’
–GreenhousePlum

2.

‘Don’t forget the nagging worry about spontaneous combustion. Not once have I ever combusted, even a little bit.’
–Bagginsthebag

3.

‘Acid rain as well. Fully expected to have to run for cover one day because of it (I know there’s a scientific answer why this stopped being a thing, but still).’
–AFoolsGlory

4.

‘Owning a home and being married in my mid-20s.’
–freakybo0o

5.

‘Personal trainer. I studied at university for three years and now people who do a four week course for a grand can legally do the same job.’
–Funky_monkey2026

6.

‘Kinda pissed off we didn’t get the flying cars and hover boards Back to the Future II promised me in 2015.’
–GuybrushFunkwood

7.

‘Routine supersonic flight. But I did in 1980 get a free trip to Paris on Concorde as a competition prize (thanks Birmingham Evening Mail).’
–maurycannon

8.

‘Have a supportive friend network where people lean on each other for help instead of everyone having this fierce independence outlook and shame around asking for help.

Really thought I’d end up babysitting more of my friends kids or BBQs where everyone comes together like on the TV growing up but everyone’s burned out carrying the weight of the world.

I wish we’d learn to help and ask for help more… The village has been lost.’
–Intrepid-Tourist3290

9.

‘Owning a house and driving a car. I’m 35 and I’m far from either of those things yet. A walking red flag. But at least I have been to 45 countries to make up for it lol.’
–JAD4995

10.

‘I imagined I’d awake each morning and have a freshly brewed coffee already on my bedside table, courtesy of my teasmade (tea’s maid? I don’t how to type this word). They doubled as an alarm. I don’t think people bother with them anymore, although, technically, you’d think they’d be MORE popular since people could wake up to coffee and check their socials without stepping foot out of bed.’
–NatchezAndes

11.

‘I only recently threw away my National Record of Achievement.’
–ServerLost

12.

‘I was of an understanding that there’d be a lot more ironing involved.’
–MttWhtly