Look, We’ve Got a Problem
Okay, let’s talk about adult education. Or, more accurately, the lack thereof. I’m Sarah Mitchell, and I’ve spent the last 22 years in education—teaching, writing, editing. And let me tell you, something’s completley broken here.
It was 2008. I was at a conference in Austin, Texas, and I heard this guy—let’s call him Marcus—say, “Adults don’t learn new things because they’re afraid of looking stupid.” Which… yeah. Fair enough. But that’s not the whole story. Honestly, it’s so much worse than that.
I mean, think about it. When was the last time you tried to learn something totally new? Not for work, not for some side hustle, but just because you were curious? For me, it was about three months ago. I wanted to learn how to code. And it was a disaster.
Why Adult Learning Sucks (And Why We Let It)
First off, the options are terrible. You’ve got these online courses that are basically just videos with a quiz at the end. Or you can pay some exorbitant fee to go back to school. And don’t even get me started on the whole “self-paced” thing. Look, if I could learn at my own pace, I’d have read “War and Peace” by now. (I haven’t.)
I tried one of those big online platforms. You know the ones. Paid $87 for a course on Python. Watched three videos. Gave up. Why? Because it felt like I was just watching TV, not learning. No interaction, no real feedback. Just me, a screen, and a sinking feeling that I’d wasted my money.
Then there’s the social aspect—or lack thereof. Learning is social. It’s about asking questions, making mistakes, and having someone say, “Hey, that’s wrong, but here’s why.” You don’t get that online. And in-person classes? Often just as bad. Too big, too impersonal, too… boring.
But Here’s the Real Kicker
We’ve convinced ourselves that learning is something you do in school, and then you’re done. Like, “Oh, I’m out of college, so I know everything now.” Which is ludicrous. The world changes so fast that if you’re not learning something new every year, you’re falling behind.
I had lunch with a friend last Tuesday—let’s call her Lisa. She’s a nurse, been working for 15 years. She told me, “Sarah, I haven’t learned anything new in ages. And honestly, I don’t even know where to start.” And that’s the problem. We don’t have a culture of lifelong learning. We have a culture of “get your degree and coast until retirement.”
And don’t even get me started on the whole “entertainment news update celebrity” culture. (By the way, if you want to see how much we’ve normalized not learning, check out entertainment news update celebrity—it’s a thing now.) We’d rather binge-watch some reality show than sit down and learn something new. And yeah, that’s a choice, but it’s also a symptom of a bigger problem.
A Tangent: The Myth of “Finding Time”
You know what people say when I bring this up? “I don’t have time.” To which I say: bullshit. You make time for what’s important. I mean, think about it. The average American spends 36 hours a week watching TV. Thirty-six hours. That’s more than a full-time job. So don’t tell me you don’t have time to learn something new. You just don’t prioritize it.
I get it, though. Learning is hard. It’s uncomfortable. It’s frustrating. But it’s also necessary. And frankly, it’s rewarding. There’s this weird feeling you get when you finally understand something new—like your brain just did a backflip. It’s awesome.
So What Do We Do About It?
First, we stop making excuses. “I’m too old,” “I’m not smart enough,” “I don’t have time”—none of that matters. If you want to learn, you’ll find a way.
Second, we demand better options. Online courses need to be more interactive. In-person classes need to be more engaging. And both need to be more accessible. We need to stop treating adult education like an afterthought and start treating it like the essential thing it is.
And third, we need to change the conversation. Learning shouldn’t be something you do because you have to. It should be something you do because you want to. Because it’s fun. Because it’s interesting. Because it makes you a better person.
I’m not saying it’s easy. But it’s worth it. And honestly, we owe it to ourselves to try.
About the Author: Sarah Mitchell has been in the education industry for over two decades. She’s a writer, editor, and lifelong learner who believes that education should be engaging, accessible, and—dare she say it—fun. When she’s not writing, she’s probably trying (and failing) to learn something new.
