NBN Book of the Day Keith J. Hayward, "Infantilised: How Our Culture Killed Adulthood" (Constable & Robinson, 2025)
Apr 11, 2025
Keith Hayward, Professor of Criminology at Copenhagen University and author of Infantilized, critiques how modern culture treats adults like children. He explores the blurring of life stages, how advertising, social media and universities drive infantilisation, and political consequences such as childish leadership. He also offers ten practical rules for reclaiming adult roles.
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Adulthood On Life Support
- Modern culture pushes adults to act childishly across advertising, entertainment, and daily life rather than encouraging mature roles.
- Keith Hayward noticed jingles, cartoons, and pervasive infantilized messaging and traced it into many social spheres including student behavior.
Life Stage Dissolution Explained
- Life-stage dissolution means youth culture and adult culture blend into an adult-child amalgam across generations.
- Hayward calls this 'generational mulching' where children face adult issues earlier while adults retain youthful tastes and behaviors.
Measure Adulthood By Independence Not Marriage
- Use demographic markers like financial independence and leaving home to assess adulthood rather than relying on marriage.
- Hayward cites US data showing education completion, leaving home, income independence and parenthood are all being delayed.
