"Gen Z's latest online fixation is the so-called 'millennial optimism' era. The TikTok trend sees users posting early-2000s throwback snaps set to The Middle East's 2009 song "Blood". Think moustache tattoos, Apple Photo Booth selfies, and owl-print tops paired with galaxy leggings. For those too young to experience it firsthand: the 2010s were a simpler, happier time. In another clip, one Gen Zer wrote: "Every day I'm faced with the sad reality that performative millennial hipsters from 2005-2012 really did have it so much better.""
"In case you may not remember, in 2010, millennials were just starting out in the workforce... and unemployment was as high as 10% in the wake of the Great Recession. Many are still carrying the economic baggage well over a decade later, with research showing that those who graduate during a recession could see stagnation in financial growth for up to 15 years."
Gen Z is sharing early-2000s throwback snaps under a 'millennial optimism' trend, featuring moustache tattoos, Apple Photo Booth selfies, owl-print tops and galaxy leggings. The trend pairs nostalgic visuals with music such as The Middle East's 2009 song "Blood", and creators often describe the 2010s as a simpler, happier time. Clips highlight cultural touchstones like Barack Obama's presidency, Instagram's grainy photos and One Direction's rise. Nostalgia coexists with economic reality: in 2010 unemployment reached about 10% after the Great Recession, and research shows graduates during recessions can face stagnant financial growth for up to 15 years. College tuition more than doubled since the 1980s, wages were suppressed, and student loan burdens were significant.
Read at Fast Company
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]