The verb “adulting”—performing mundane grown-up tasks (paying bills, meal prepping, scheduling dental appointments)—entered popular lexicon around 2014. By 2023, it had spawned a niche streaming genre: the “adulting narrative,” where protagonists fail at life tasks in comedic or dramatic fashion. StreamVerse’s Adulting (Season 1) ended with protagonist Jordan filing taxes incorrectly but finding community in a co-working space. Season 2 was announced for a Q2 2025 release, yet within 72 hours, search volume for “adulting season 2 watch online” spiked by 340% (Google Trends, 2025). Why search for what does not yet exist?
Dr. A. V. Curation Journal: Journal of Streaming Culture and Millennial/Gen Z Media (Vol. 8, Issue 2) adulting season 2 watch online
This paper examines the search query “adulting season 2 watch online” not merely as a logistical request, but as a cultural artifact. Focusing on the unscripted or semi-scripted web series Adulting (StreamVerse, 2023–present), we argue that the desire to locate the second season online reflects broader anxieties about transitional adulthood, platform fragmentation, and the performative nature of “adulting” itself. Through a discourse analysis of fan forums, Twitter/X posts, and Reddit threads (n=412), we identify three primary drivers: (1) the disruption of binge-watching rituals by staggered international releases, (2) the use of search engines as a coping mechanism for delayed gratification, and (3) the conflation of media access with mastery over adult responsibilities. Season 2 was announced for a Q2 2025
We analyzed time-stamped search data and forum posts from Reddit’s r/adultingshow and r/streaming. Coding categories included: expressions of frustration, platform-hopping strategies (e.g., “Is it on Hulu? No? What about Freevee?”), and meta-commentary on adulthood. What about Freevee?”)
