Tonight they want to party like it's 1999. Because they sure as hell don't like the era they're living in.

If you're expecting new protest songs...don't hold your breath. Gen Z is looking for escape. They've been beaten down by a society that seems not to understand them, that actually has contempt for them, and they stayed home from school during Covid and can't get a good job and...

The Boomers were coming from a place of optimism when they embraced protest songs back in the sixties. They truly thought they could change the world. This optimism has been replaced by frustration and disillusionment in today's youth, who are just trying to survive.

Think about this... Have you seen a single Gen Z member come out against screens? Of course not, they grew up digitally native, they know the power of the smartphone and the internet, they can't understand their elders who don't, the elders who seem to want to bring them back to an age that is never returning... Why not bring back black and white TV and get rid of streaming while they're at it! The youth have grown up in a rapid-fire world of constant change, they're adjusted to it, they can cope, it's the oldsters who can't.

And then there's the influencers... Not only are old people not on TikTok, they believe that no-talents are online trying to get rich and famous. There are some like that, but TikTok is a hotbed of artistic innovation. Want to be surprised? Don't listen to a record, dial up a clip on TikTok. Or MrBeast on YouTube. Or... The generation gap is gigantic.

Also, how is the influencer culture different from the personal development ethos of the seventies? Be all you can be! But only if you play by our rules.

Meanwhile, we've got newspapers telling us Democrats can only win if they move to the center. People throwing their hands up in the air re Trump. But no one sees it through the eyes of the Gen Z'ers...they're beyond disillusioned, they've disconnected, they have no faith in the system. Whether it be political or corporate. All those corporate leaders kissing the ring of Trump... Gen Z is all about credibility, what's inside. Sure, there are followers, but with so little money available youngsters cling to values first and foremost. And it's not only credibility, but ecology and...

If you go to a show it's less about who is on stage and more about the experience you're having with your friends. Shooting photos. Gen Z knows musical stars are whored-out two-dimensional constructs. There are much better, smarter people to take the lead from. Performers have disconnected from their audience, so busy becoming brands that they've left connection and money on the table.

Don't counter with the BTS Army and the Swifites...that would be missing the point. Then again, BTS's success is based on culture, the music is in service to that. There's a sense of belonging. As for Swift...she herself is a Millennial, she made it before the TikTok era, so different rules apply. And Gen Z is not looking to get married, it's looking to get out of its parents' basement!

They were told to get a STEM education. And now AI has come along and wiped out the coding jobs.

They're told they don't need a college degree, but in truth seemingly every job requires a degree to get it...it's not what you've learned, but the degree is a dividing line between the capable and the incapable, that's how the hirers see it, no matter how much bloviating there is in the "Wall Street Journal" that a degree is unnecessary.

As for Trump talking about liberal bias at universities... This is a highbrow discussion for aged people. Gen Z has no skin in this game.

Once again, Gen Z is alone, overlooked when it's not put down.

But change will come from Gen Z. Already has in Nepal and Madagascar. In Nepal all it took was a shutdown of social media sites. While the oldsters not on the platforms are worried about China's access to data, Gen Z knows privacy is history, they just want to be able to connect.

And they're sick of being told how lonely they are. They know more people than any of their elders did when they grew up, that's the power of the internet. Furthermore, like-minded people are at their fingertips. The internet connects, it doesn’t isolate. And oldsters can't understand this, believing face to face communication is everything.

Change will come from Gen Z because its members have nothing to lose. They don't own houses and have 401k's, those are off on the horizon... Once again, they'd just like to be able to live in an apartment, be able to pay the bills without mom and dad's help.

And Gen Z doesn't need the belief in a monolithic star like their predecessors. They have their personal favorites, the fact that you have yours is de rigueur.

Gen Z is a time bomb. It's got nothing to do with tariffs, with bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. or ICE, it has to do with opportunity and understanding... How in the hell is a septuagenarian congressperson, an OCTOGENARIAN congressperson, going to understand their plight?

As the corporations gain more and more power and...

Crypto is a way to get rich. How else are you going to accumulate all those bucks?

Zuckerberg, Musk, Thiel...those are the heroes of their elders, Gen Z knows techies are not to be trusted, that they're just mercurial men out for a buck. As for AI... What's the problem, it helps with homework and allows them to create! You want to hold back the march of progress?

And seemingly everybody not a member of this cohort is missing it.

Except maybe for Mamdani...who is a flawed candidate, but is sticking his finger in the eye of the status quo, that's why young people are supporting him...he offers a modicum of hope, where are they going to get hope elsewhere?

From a musical artist ripping them off with dozens of vinyl iterations? Selling them perfume and clothing? Stardom today is all about being embedded with your audience, appearing no better than they are, and there are some musical acts that fit this bill, but too many one-dimensional ones in blinking lights constantly selling stuff, saying they love their fans when they truly want nothing to do with them.

Change could be made, but so far it hasn't happened.

Any change that comes will be as a result of the activities of Gen Z itself. It's a sleeping giant, a monster. This is the true crisis in America, the misunderstood if not ignored youth...who don't expect the government to come through for them, no matter who is in power.

A spark could call Gen Z to action. And just like in Pacific Palisades...something is smoldering, getting ready to ignite.

Beware.


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=828178025010391a0f83cf7802ae715b

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=828178025010391a0f83cf7802ae715b