The real problem with rampant neoteny isn't adults playing video games, it's the very revulsion at the idea (and I hate this phrase) of "adulting". The entire

The real problem with rampant neoteny isn't adults playing video games, it's the very revulsion at the idea (and I hate this phrase) of "adulting". The entire point of the transition from childhood to adulthood is that you become responsible for yourself and others which is a transition from you being the responsibility of others. The idea that responsibilities are somehow an injustice has dominated thinking of my generation and latter. I really enjoy playing a round of Elden Ring after I've gotten all my house work done and taken care of the things that people rely on me for. Just on the basic standards of household maintenance I'm shocked how often my friends apartments look like they are lived in by a teenager. The whole idea of "ghosting" is another example of this bizarre inability to just do the things you need to do. Being an "adult" in just about any culture, means you do somethings that are uncomfortable because those things need to be done. Sure it can be hard to tell some people "no" but ignoring them completely because you can't stand a bit of discomfort is the very essence of "childish" behavior. I grew up in a dysfunctional household, where I was not taken care of as a child, so I was very eager to become an adult. Taking responsibility and taking care of myself where things I looked forward to because I'd be taken care of, even if I was the one doing it. Now that climate change is starting to show undeniable consequences it's a bit hard for me to take demands for climate action seriously from people who just a few months ago complained about "adulting" when doing their own taxes in their late 20s.