“Gen Z men & women are living on different planets.”
Scary GenZ gender chasm, smart press-ons & Starbucks' weird new drink
A 30-point gap in GenZ political views is sudden, unprecedented. And global.
Political ideologies have been fairly generational. Despite gender differences on certain issues, overall, they’d be fairly aligned.
Not so, Gen Z.
“Women 18 to 30 are now 30 percentage points more liberal than their male contemporaries. That gap took just six years to open up.”
Young, White, Male & Republican:
41% of White guys 18-24 now identify as Republican—a leap from 28% in 2019.
Gen Z guys are more likely to than boomers to say Feminism has done more harm than good, and far less likely to see themselves as Feminist than Millennials.
It’s Not Just the U.S.
The Financial Times reports this is happening on every continent as well as on the effects in Korea. Their birth rate is 0.78% (lowest on earth) and marriage has tanked.
A Growing Sense of Solidarity
Two-thirds of Gen Z women believe what happens to women generally in the US will affect their own lives. Only 36% of Women 65+ say the same. This is called “linked fate” and may indicate a rise in activism vs the NIMBY voting of past generations.
How did this happen?
Algorithm-driven media, especially social media
Past generations largely consumed the same broad media, from TV shows to news. But now hyper-algorithmed platforms have been pushing wildly different yet newly gendered content: MAGA, Andrew Tate and male influencers to males and Taylor Swift, #metoo, AOC and female influencers to females. (yes, generalizing)
The least socialized generation ever
The least likely to hang out, to spend time with friends, to have sex, to party and the most anxious = the most susceptible.
Politics (including Far Right politics)
Some believe #metoo started an awakening with this generation of women, and George Floyd and the Dobbs decision only continue to further it. GenZ grew up with Girl Power and less “female” conditioning than past generations, which also leads to a lot more independence.
And men are flailing: declining in college, earning, and in all the things Richard Reeves talks about. So they’re ripe yet bitter pickings for Jordan Peterson and the dads, Brads & Chads.
BTW: 30% of Gen Z females also identify as queer. Coincidence?
A new birth control gel for men acts sort of like a temporary vasectomy. (I think.)
Optimistically named Plan A.
Yeah, right.
Drinks News:
Will it be Yerba Mate’s breakthrough year? Huberman may bring the bros to the tea with Mateina (good name btw). I like Clean Cause and love Guayaki but have no idea how to pronounce it.
“The Oleato at Starbucks is a legit laxative.” This olive oil + espresso fusion is.. interesting. Bulletproof adjacent but a few years late? Oh the complexity of ordering the Oleato Golden Foam Iced Shaken Espresso with Toffeenut (word count: 8).
I remember writing on match books.
Chipped press-on nails have embedded NFC-chips that beam your social links directly into people’s phones. These have Vegas and trade shows all over them.
This week in Ozempic!
Noom and other apps are creating Ozempic-targeted workouts, after reports the drug depletes muscle mass.
Daily Harvest has Ozempic-friendly meal delivery.
My first-ever podcast here posited semaglutide as a future wellness game-changer. Well, studies are beginning to look at GLP-1s possible benefits for depression, anxiety & bipolar.
Target is adding a digital wellness hub and 1,000 new wellness-related products “some priced at just $1.99” 1.99? Is that a Liquid Death single can? And has anyone tried the good.clean.goop product yet? Can’t believe GP approved those packaging colors.
Lola Tampons was acquired by Forum Brands, which seems focused on e-comm growth for small lifestyle-y brands.
DM me or comment below if you want to talk about the Taylor Swift conspiracy theories. Chads vilifying the ultimate white hetero homecoming queen and captain of the football team indicates we really are in the upside down times.
Informative, powerful, insightful and sharp witted. I’m already looking forward to the next one!