"Bearing the heavy weight”: the challenging experience of becoming an adult in Spain

This article examines how young people in Spain perceive and navigate the transi tion to adulthood, drawing on qualitative data from 30 in-depth interviews with individuals aged 18 to 32. The study uses a phenomenological approach to exam ine how Spanish youth define adulthood and identify role models, considering the interplay between individualization and individualism. Findings reveal that while some associate adulthood with opportunities, most emphasize its burdens— the demands, responsibilities, obligations, and the weight of decision-making. This “life is hard” narrative reflects a strong sense of uncertainty and pressure to construct an adult identity without clear societal benchmarks, illustrating the structural impact of individualization. While younger participants tended to associate adulthood with newfound freedoms, the oldest cohort highlighted solitude, acceptance, and the emotional weight of obligations. Gender differences also emerged: women were more likely to stress emotional regulation, care for others, and responsibility, while men more frequently emphasized bravery, risk-taking, and stepping outside one’s comfort zone. Despite individualistic discourse around self-sufficiency, participants often cited parents, particularly mothers, as role models of empathy and strength. By analyzing the overlapping yet distinct effects of structural individualization and cultural individualism, this study helps frame the tensions and difficulties experienced by young people in Spain. It challenges deficit-based narratives of youth “failing to grow up,” showing instead how young Spaniards actively negotiate adulthood and proposing a shift to a more relational perspective. This contributes to broader youth studies by illuminating how social and cultural context shape the experience of becoming an adult in late modern societies.