Throughout high school, I familiarized myself with beloved TV shows like “Sex and the City” and “Friends.”. The representation of a tight-knit group navigating their careers, love life and day-to-day life in New York City was, and is still, so captivating and comforting.
While these shows both touch on real-life issues, including financial instability and career challenges, they still have unrealistic aspects.
In “Sex and the City,” Carrie Bradshaw is able to afford an apartment in New York City’s Upper East Side neighborhood, a wardrobe full of designer items such as Manolo Blahnik heels and nightly excursions with friends to expensive restaurants — all on a weekly newspaper columnist salary.
In “Friends,” Monica Geller, a chef, resides in a large apartment in NYC’s Greenwich Village neighborhood with her friend Rachel Green, a waitress during the show’s early seasons. Despite their young ages and occupations, Geller and Green live a very comfortable life.
Watching these shows during my formative teenage years led me to believe that once I became an adult, I could live the same lifestyles that these characters live. I thought that right out of college, I could live in the West Village with my best friends, have a fun job and go out for dinner most nights.
Unfortunately, as I get closer to that post-graduate fantasy of mine, I realize that that dream for me, and many others, is quite unattainable in this day and age.
With the rise of A.I. and the current “low hire, low fire” trend in the job market, recent graduates looking for employment struggle immensely. As of June 2026, recent graduates face a 5.7% unemployment rate compared to a national average of 4.1%. Companies across the job market have decreased hiring but increased layoffs.
Although media depicting 20 to 30 year olds in NYC have a history of being unrealistic, there's one new show that breaks that pattern.
“Adults,” a TV series that premiered in May 2025, chronicles the lives of five friends — Samir Rahman, Billie Schaeffer, Issa Damani, Anton Evans and Paul Baker — as they navigate adulthood in Queens, New York. Throughout its two seasons, the show depicts the not-so-glamorous side of being a young adult in this generation, while still focusing on the importance of friendship.
The four of the five friends all reside rent-free in Rahman’s childhood home without Rahman’s parents knowing. By the end of the episode, the group invites Issa’s new boyfriend, Paul Baker, to live with them, completing the friend group.
The show especially tackles dilemmas in the job market. Each of the characters goes through disastrous job interviews over Zoom, miscommunication with older co-workers, anxiety surrounding their digital footprints and of course, unemployment.
As a junior in college, I myself feel understood. Gen Z like me and the characters in “Adults” grew up when smartphones and social media were still being developed. Having access to these platforms at a young age has not only led to many Gen Zers creating cringy social media posts, but has also shaped how we communicate.
Easy accessibility to the internet has led to trends, music, slang and information spreading at the touch of a button. Throughout its two seasons, “Adults” has accurately depicted how this has impacted our generation.
With its strong representation of Gen Z, friendship, workplace, and social blunders, “Adults” has become a new comfort show for me. Although shows like “Sex and the City” and “Friends” still provide comfort to me and allow me to dream about a life I can escape to, “Adults” gives a refreshing take on what life is actually like for my generation in this current age.
Kelly McKiernan is the assistant arts desk editor and can be reached at kelly.mckiernan@ubspectrum.com.
Photo: Paul Hokanson/UB Athletics
