How the Pandemic Shifted The ’20 Something’ Narrative
There’s a certain kind of magic people tell you about your 20s. Those so-called ‘golden years’ filled with self-discovery, travel, late nights, career ambitions, and learning to live a little recklessly before responsibility fully takes hold. Instead, an entire generation was met with a shift in the narrative which wrote their twenties.
But for the estimated 1,579,546 people in Australia who were born between 1996 and 2000, and coming of age in the era of COVID-19, entering and growing up in the 20s looked very different.
Instead of cocktails and crowded dance floors, it was whipped instant coffee, Zoom birthdays, and lockdown walks. Instead of passport stamps and backpacking in Europe, it was home workouts, learning to find joy in the ordinary and a whole lot of solitude.
For many, the pandemic felt like a global pause, except life didn’t really pause. We just had to live it differently. Milestones blurred into the mundanity of routine. Graduations went virtual. First jobs were remote. Relationships either flourished in isolation or quietly faded. Some of us moved back home. Others made life-altering decisions based on instincts rather than plans.
So, did the pandemic rewrite our 20s, or just redefine what growing up looks like?
The Pandemic Skip
There’s a term that started circulating on TikTok a few years into COVID-19, the “pandemic skip.” It describes that strange, disorienting feeling so many of us experienced: one minute it was March 2020, and in the blink of an eye, it was late 2023.
The 20’s is a time traditionally marked by growth, risk-taking, and life-defining experiences; with having this coming of age, from inside a global lockdown, for the pandemics 20 somethings, the sense of a “skip” is especially poignant. Instead of coming-of-age milestones, 20 somethings were met with uncertainty, isolation, and a whole lot of introspection.
One TikTok user, @TriciaFu, describes this perfectly: “The pandemic was basically like falling asleep for 3 years, and now we are like wait a minute, how old are we, how are we supposed to feel? Are we supposed to feel three years older?”
As normal real world life has resumed, (whatever that means), for many of us in our twenties it’s felt like a rush to catch up on the years spent in lockdown, whilst also unpacking what we learnt and experienced.
Modern Love Hits Pause: What the Pandemic Taught Us About Relationships
The way we dated in our 20s changed drastically during the pandemic, and the effects are still unfolding. With bars closed and parties off the table, dating shifted from spontaneity, to something a whole lot slower, and more intentional.
Zoom calls became first dates. Walks replaced dinners. And without the usual distractions, emotional connection took centre stage. Many 20-somethings were forced to ask bigger questions early on: Do we actually get along? Do we want the same things? Can we sit in silence together without losing our minds? For some, the pause deepened bonds, and for others, it highlighted incompatibilities that might’ve been ignored in the rush of “normal” life.
Now, post-pandemic, it feels that dating is a mixed bag of cautious optimism, a blend of craving real connection, guarding emotional energy, and figuring out how to be vulnerable again in a world that’s finally speeding back up.
From the Gym to the Living Room
Before the pandemic, fitness culture for many 20-somethings was wrapped up in gym memberships, group classes, and Hot Girl walks. But when the world shut down, so did the studios, and suddenly, our bedrooms, backyards, and balconies became the new fitness sanctuaries. Apps, YouTube videos, and virtual trainers boomed. Swapping spin classes for yoga flows on the living room rug.
But more importantly, the pandemic shifted the ‘why’ behind our workouts. For many, fitness became less about aesthetics and more about mental health, routine, and stress relief. It was no longer about “summer bodies,” but staying sane and feeling strong in uncertain times.
How Career Goals Got a Covid-19 Reality Check
With offices closed and universities moved online, we all found ourselves staring into the glow of Zoom screens day after day, isolated, over-scheduled, and questioning the systems we were once rushing to be part of. The boundaries between work, study, and rest blurred.
The collective pause of the pandemic led many 20-somethings to rethink what success truly meant. With the physical structures of lecture halls and office buildings suddenly replaced by Zoom screens and home offices, young adults began creating new frameworks for purpose and productivity. Side hustles, passion projects, and creative outlets flourished.
From digital illustration and candle-making to selling on Depop or offering TikTok consulting, many used the downtime to learn new skills, launch small businesses, or reignite forgotten hobbies. These pursuits were more than just ways to pass time, they became powerful tools for self-expression, autonomy, and in many cases, additional income.
The Rush to Figure it All Out After Lockdown
Now that the world has reopened and life feels like it’s moving at double speed, many 20-somethings are feeling an overwhelming pressure to have everything figured out and fast, to make up for the isolation.
After years of uncertainty, delays, and paused plans, there’s a collective sense of needing to catch up: on careers, relationships, finances, experiences. Not to mention, social media only adds fuel to the fire, there can be a strong sense of comparison and disappointment by being constantly aware of our peers who seem to be thriving, travelling, getting promoted, or “making it.”
But really considering the collective pause of the pandemic, the 20’s timeline was never linear to begin with. The rush to get it all right at once may feel louder than ever, but the time of self reflection by the isolation of the pandemic, also taught us we truly are all going at our own pace.
To be a 20 something
The pandemic exposed just how fragile life could be, and for many, that realisation triggered a complete reset in values, priorities, and direction.
Maybe the 20s didn’t come wrapped in glitter and overseas adventures, but they gave something else: resilience through a time of isolation. Now more than ever we are hyper aware of mental health, work life balance, and cultivating the life we want for ourselves. People started businesses from their bedrooms, learned to cook and began questioning what success really looks like.
Post Pandemic, this generation of 20-somethings became more self-aware, more value-driven, and less willing to settle for burnout or broken systems. It may not be the wild, carefree twenties we expected, but now as everything is opened up again, so is the chance to fully go after what we want.
