Wellness: A New Kind of Adulthood: The Rise of Simulated Milestones

What is the "Playing Pretend" Trend?

The "Playing Pretend" trend is a phenomenon where young adults, facing delayed life milestones like full-time employment or marriage, are engaging in paid, curated experiences that mimic traditional adult rituals. These events are a way for them to cope with social pressures, maintain a sense of purpose, and feel as though they are progressing in life, even when conventional markers of adulthood are out of reach.

• Fake Offices in China: Young people, particularly those affected by high youth unemployment, are paying a daily fee to "go to work" in co-working spaces. These spaces, complete with amenities like Wi-Fi and meeting rooms, offer the appearance of a professional life and a place to socialize with "colleagues."

• Mock Wedding Parties in India: Young adults who desire the celebratory aspects of a wedding without the commitment of marriage are attending ticketed events that simulate a traditional wedding party, including music, dancing, and decor.

• Guests for Hire in France: The app Invitin allows individuals to pay a fee to attend real weddings as guests, helping couples cover costs while providing attendees with the experience of a significant social event they would otherwise not have.

Why It's Trending: The Great Delay

This trend is gaining momentum due to a fundamental mismatch between societal expectations and economic realities for young people. The article notes that youth unemployment in China was 14.5% in June 2025, creating a feeling of "frustration and powerlessness" among young adults.

• Economic Barriers: High unemployment, stagnant wages, and the prohibitive costs associated with marriage and homeownership are delaying traditional life milestones.

• Social and Cultural Pressure: Despite these economic realities, societal expectations for young adults to achieve traditional milestones remain strong, leading to social stigma around unemployment and being unmarried.

• The "Experience Economy": Consumers, particularly Gen Z, are increasingly prioritizing experiences over possessions. This trend taps into that desire by monetizing the "experience" of a life stage that is otherwise inaccessible.

Overview: A Coping Mechanism for a Modern Crisis

"Playing Pretend" is a poignant reflection of a global crisis of delayed adulthood. These simulated experiences are more than just frivolous pastimes; they are coping mechanisms that offer young people a psychological buffer from societal judgment. By participating in these events, they can maintain a sense of dignity, community, and forward momentum in their lives, even as the traditional path to adulthood is blocked. This trend represents a creative, if melancholic, solution to a very modern problem.

Detailed Findings: The Psychology of Simulation

This trend is not just about fun; it's a strategic psychological response.

• Alleviating Stigma: In the fake offices, attendees are actively avoiding the "stigma around unemployment" and giving themselves a place to go and be productive. This helps them maintain a sense of self-worth and dignity.

• Fostering Community: The simulated environments provide a space for socialization and networking. In the fake offices, people form friendships with their "colleagues." At the mock weddings, they are part of a shared, joyful experience, fulfilling a need for connection.

• Financial Flexibility: The Invitin app in France highlights a mutually beneficial relationship where both parties gain. The wedding couple gets a financial boost to help with high wedding costs, and the paying guests get an experience without the commitment of a real-life relationship.

Key Success Factors of "Playing Pretend"

This trend is successful because it addresses a fundamental human need in a creative way.

• Emotional and Psychological Fulfillment: The experiences offer a powerful psychological benefit—the feeling of "moving forward" and belonging.

• Accessibility and Affordability: The events are relatively inexpensive, making them accessible to a demographic with limited disposable income.

• Socialization: These events provide a much-needed venue for young people to meet and interact with others in a low-pressure environment.

Key Takeaway: Adulthood is Being Redefined

The "Playing Pretend" trend reveals that the definition of adulthood is no longer a linear, fixed set of milestones. Instead, it is becoming a fluid, fragmented, and often simulated journey, driven by economic necessity and a generational desire for both progress and emotional well-being.

Main Trend: The Post-Milestone Life

The main trend is the societal shift into a "Post-Milestone Life," where traditional markers of adulthood are increasingly out of reach for many, leading to a new class of services and experiences that simulate these milestones.

Description of the Trend: The Experiential Life Stage

This trend can be described as the "Experiential Life Stage," where consumers are purchasing experiences that provide the emotional and social benefits of traditional life stages without the long-term commitment or financial burden.

Key Characteristics of the Core Trend: The Pursuit of "Forward Momentum"

This trend is defined by a clear set of consumer behaviors.

• Purchase of "Progress": Consumers are willing to pay for events that create the feeling of being productive, successful, and socially integrated.

• Community-Centric: The experiences are often group-based, fulfilling a need for social interaction that may be lacking in their current lives.

• Temporary Escape: The events offer a temporary escape from the pressures and anxieties of a life that is not progressing as society expects.

Market and Cultural Signals Supporting the Trend: Economic Disenfranchisement

This trend is not isolated; it is a direct response to a number of market and cultural signals.

• Global Youth Unemployment: The article specifically cites high youth unemployment in China, which is a global phenomenon.

• Social Media Pressure: Social media platforms often showcase the "highlight reel" of friends and peers achieving these milestones, intensifying the pressure on those who feel left behind.

• Generational Shift: The younger generation is more open to alternative lifestyles and experiences, making them more willing to embrace unconventional solutions to societal problems.

What is Consumer Motivation: Psychological Resilience

Consumers are motivated by a deep-seated need for psychological resilience in the face of economic and social adversity.

• To Feel Productive: In the fake offices, the motivation is to feel productive and avoid the "idling" that is often associated with unemployment.

• To Feel Joy: In the mock weddings, the motivation is to experience the joy, celebration, and social connection of a wedding without the pressure of finding a partner.

• To Feel a Part of Something: The Invitin app taps into the desire to be a part of a communal, celebratory event, even as an outsider.

What is Motivation Beyond the Trend: The Search for a New Social Contract

Beyond the immediate trend, the underlying motivation is a societal search for a new social contract. Young people are rejecting a rigid life path that is no longer accessible to them. They are creating their own rules, their own rituals, and their own communities to navigate a world that doesn't offer the same opportunities as it once did.

Descriptions of Consumers: The Disenfranchised Dreamers

• Consumer Summary: This consumer group is a mix of pragmatic realists and frustrated idealists. They are technologically savvy, socially connected, but also deeply anxious about their future. They are not defined by a specific income bracket, but rather by their shared experience of being on the outside of traditional markers of success. They are using creative and unconventional methods to build a life that feels meaningful to them, even if it doesn't fit the traditional mold.

• Who are they?: Primarily young adults.

• What is their age?: Late teens to late 20s and early 30s.

• What is their gender?: The trend appears to be gender-neutral, as both men and women face similar economic and social pressures.

• What is their income?: Low to moderate, as the events are relatively inexpensive, but their financial struggles are a key motivator for participating.

• What is their lifestyle?: Digital-native, highly social, and community-oriented. They are seeking connection and validation in a world that often feels isolating.

How the Trend Is Changing Consumer Behavior: From Owning to Experiencing

This trend is fundamentally shifting consumer behavior from a focus on "owning" milestones (e.g., getting a job, getting married) to "experiencing" them.

• Prioritizing short-term fulfillment: Consumers are opting for experiences that provide a temporary feeling of progress over the long-term pursuit of an out-of-reach goal.

• Embracing non-traditional solutions: They are willing to pay for unconventional services that solve their emotional and social needs.

• Redefining value: The value of a product or service is no longer just its utility, but its ability to provide a feeling, an experience, or a sense of community.

Implications of the Trend Across the Ecosystem: A New Market for Aspirational Living

• For Consumers: The trend offers a new, accessible way to cope with societal pressures, but it also raises questions about whether these simulated experiences can provide true, lasting fulfillment.

• For Brands and CPGs: This opens up a new market for "aspirational experiences." Brands can create products and services that help consumers "play pretend," such as simulated career training, life-stage-themed subscription boxes, or even pop-up events that mimic adult rituals.

• For Retailers: The trend creates opportunities for new business models that sell experiences instead of just products, such as the "pretend office companies" or the start-ups hosting mock weddings.

Strategic Forecast: The Rise of the "Aspirational Experience" Economy

The "Playing Pretend" trend is a signal of a new and growing market.

• Market Expansion: We can expect to see more companies enter this space, offering a wider range of "simulated milestones," from fake first-time home buying experiences to mock retirement parties.

• Targeted Services: Services will become more niche and targeted to specific anxieties, such as apps that simulate a successful freelance career or communities for people who want to "practice" being a parent.

• Integration with Social Media: These experiences will be heavily promoted and shared on social media, blurring the line between real life and curated performance.

Areas of innovation: Building a Bridge to a New Reality

• The Aspirational Co-working Space: A physical space that is not just a co-working space but also a "career simulation hub" that offers a variety of professional role-playing scenarios, mentorship sessions, and mock interviews.

• The "Life Stage" Subscription Box: A subscription service that sends consumers curated boxes related to a life stage they desire, such as a "First-Time Homeowner" box with home decor samples and a savings plan guide.

• Gamified Milestones: An app that gamifies traditional life milestones, such as "winning" a mock job or "leveling up" in a simulated relationship, providing a sense of achievement and progress.

• The "Experience-as-a-Service" Platform: A platform that connects consumers with unique, low-cost experiences that help them build new skills or fulfill a social need, from attending a mock dinner party to participating in a group hobby.

• The Digital Twin Ritual: An AI-powered service that creates a digital "twin" of a consumer that "lives out" their desired life, providing them with a simulated experience of what their future could be like.

Summary of Trends:

• Core Consumer Trend: The purchase of curated "experiences" that simulate traditional life milestones, serving as a coping mechanism for economic and social anxiety.

• Core Social Trend: The redefinition of adulthood and success in a society where traditional markers of a successful life are increasingly out of reach for young people.

• Core Strategy: The monetization of emotional and psychological needs by offering services that provide a sense of purpose, community, and forward momentum.

• Core Industry Trend: The emergence of a new "aspirational experience" economy, where businesses are selling feelings and simulated realities rather than just physical goods or conventional services.

• Core Consumer Motivation: A deep-seated desire to feel productive, valued, and a part of society despite facing significant economic and social barriers.

Final Thought: A Generational Cry for Help

"Playing Pretend" is not simply a playful trend; it is a profound and poignant expression of a generational cry for help. It reveals a deep-seated anxiety about the future and a willingness to find creative, if unconventional, solutions to navigate a challenging world. It is a powerful signal to brands and society at large that the old rules of adulthood are no longer valid, and that the modern consumer is seeking not just products, but a sense of purpose and belonging, even if it's only for a day.

Source: https://stylus.com/consumer-attitudes/playing-pretend-young-consumers-simulate-milestones