The Peculiar Relationship Between Gen Z and Clout
Whew chile, the clout chasing!
In modern times, fame appears to be the life long goal for a lot of Gen Zers. Since the introduction of social media, millions of people have used the medium as a gateway to traction. While social media and its various apps are a phenomenal way to curate ideas and develop a following, it may also be a phenomenal way to lose your sanity.
Though the word ‘clout’ has always had a place in contemporary vocabulary, its meaning has been modified. According to The Atlantic, the word clout originates in Old English, and once meant “a lump of something” or “a patch of cloth” used to mend a hole. Now, according to Oxford Languages, clout can be defined as influence or power, especially in politics or business. As technology has evolved, so has our definition of a word that is intrinsic to its advancements.
As stated in Market Watch, Gen Z considers fame and fortune even more important to their lives than millennials do. The article further states, 7 in 10 Gen Zers claim, making money is “very important” to them, compared to just 6 in 10 millennials. Furthermore, 12% say that fame is very important to them, compared to just 7% of millennials. Also, in a study conducted by Morning Consult, 86 percent of people aged 13 to 38 would like to become a social media influencer. While these opinions are not all-embracing, they definitely adhere to Gen Z.
When you scroll through Instagram and YouTube, among other apps, it is evident that there is an influx of content. More importantly, there is an influx of content with low integrity. Allow me to explain! Countless major influencers have been caught taking advantage of societal vulnerability, cultural appropriation, and even death for attention.
Trigger warning: Some mention of suicide in the next paragraph
For example, Kris Schatzel received a lot of backlash for staging a photo-shoot upholding a “Black Lives Matter” poster while “partaking” in a #BlackLivesMatter Movement protest. I’m not saying that she didn’t care about the movement nor the fight towards equal rights, but she was obviously more interested in her outfit than officers being held accountable. Furthermore, one of the biggest scandals to erupt out of YouTube was Logan Paul’s suicide forest vlog. On December 31, 2017, the influential content creator uploaded a video titled, “We found a dead body in the suicide forest,” airing footage of a suicide victim and incorporating the eerie image into the thumbnail.
I’ve found myself in a generation where people would rather be an influencer than any other occupation. It is not necessarily a bad thing, just a peculiar commodity. Stardom does not necessarily correlate to quality or talent, which is why fifteen seconds of fame is slowly becoming customary. If we don’t need the talent to become famous, then what do we aim to be famous for and why?
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