TikTok is Shaping Gen Z’s Perception of Class and Wealth
Dancing video. Scroll. Comedy sketch. Scroll. Viral audio clip. Scroll. When most people think about classism, generational wealth, and economic inequality, the popular video app TikTok is unlikely to immediately come to mind. However, this app is sparking organic conversations about money and privilege in ways never before seen on social media.
TikTok differs from other social media platforms in its user interface and desired types of content. Social media influencers have historically capitalized on the demand for aesthetically pleasing posts. Influencers on platforms such as Instagram typically curate content shot in exotic locations, often wearing expensive outfits, because their followers enjoy seeing their glamorous lives. However, TikTok’s content format, vertical videos lasting a minute or less, lends itself to content based less on one’s setting and more on the plot of skits and videos. For example, dance videos are one of TikTok’s most popular genres, and most dance videos are shot in bedrooms, driveways, and living rooms (if you aren’t embarrassed to perform a choreographed dance in front of your family while they watch TV). As a result, often times the only indication of a TikTok user’s wealth is the display of the house behind them and the clothes on their person. However, these few details are often the focus of both trends and conversations in comment sections alike. This begs the question, why are these kids focusing on wealth?
A prime example of such blatant fascination with class is the #middleclasscheck hashtag. This trend, which gained traction in late 2019, typically involves someone filming various parts of their purportedly “middle class” house. However, checking the comments on many of these videos shows a heated debate discussing whether the video creator is actually middle class and most likely at least one comment saying something along the lines of “if this is middle class, then I must be dirt poor.” Similarly, some users posted videos using the hashtag ironically while showcasing their lower class homes, making a joke of their living conditions in comparison to the homes of others. While a TikTok trend that revolves solely around one’s economic status may seem odd, especially since users are not bragging about their wealth so much as demonstrating their middle class status, it has all the necessary elements of any trend: it’s relatable, easy to film, and it sparks a discussion and generates traffic. Similar class-focused trends have come and gone as well. One notable trend involved making videos to a soundbite from an episode of Real Housewives of Atlanta in which Nini Leakes implied that a white refrigerator was a symbol of a less-than-acceptable home. Yet another common occurrence on the app is for users to comment on the lighting in someone’s home. Bright, cool-toned lighting is referred to as “rich people lighting,” and its lesser counterpart is warm lighting, often found in homes with little natural light. This distinction further indicates that Gen Z is more observant of class divides than previous generations.
Though such a keen awareness of class has the potential to cause division should children choose to bully someone based on their wealth, the organic, candid nature of TikTok videos has actually allowed users to learn about certain struggles and aspects of family life of those who fall into different economic classes than they do, as well as create a space for users to discuss shared experiences. For instance, a recent phenomenon on TikTok features users doing “unboxing”-style videos showcasing the free lunches they picked up from their school districts. The comment section of one such video, in which a father displayed the meals provided for his four children, was full of other parents agreeing that the school lunch program had been helpful to their families as well. Such shared experiences also can be seen in videos made by teens with simple captions such as “haha I told my friends that I didn’t wanna go on the 8th grade trip to DC when I actually just couldn’t afford it,” where dozens of comments express that they could not afford those types of trips either. There is also a shared sentiment among commenters that it is wrong for schools to plan trips that easily exclude poorer students. This is where observational humor and active discussion intersect, an intersection with which Gen Z is well-acquainted.
While it is obvious that Gen Z has access to more information than ever before, this access has allowed the generation to mobilize (no pun intended) more efficiently than past generations. When TikTokers distorted numbers for Trump’s Tulsa rally, and more recently attempted to tank his campaign app’s ratings so it would be removed from the app store, they found ways to involve themselves in politics in a way that was free and accessible to anyone who wanted to play a part. While many Gen Z TikTok users cannot even vote yet, the generation is already acting in ways that make it clear that they (we) are dissatisfied with inequality. I would also venture to say that much of Gen Z’s dissatisfaction with the current U.S. presidency is based on the jaded view they have been given of wealth in politics. When someone sees people of all races, home situations, and economic statuses on their “For You” page every single day, it is much harder to distance oneself from the reality that many political leaders are far better off than the everyday people they claim to represent. Gen Z has a clear moral line about “punching up” when it comes to economic status: it is okay to lightheartedly make fun of people who are wealthier than you, hence the “you’ve got rich people lighting” joke, and it is always okay to criticize corporations and billionaires. (Note: As one of the very oldest members of Gen Z at twenty-one years old, this is the first time in my life that I have seen social media aggressively portray absurd wealth as shameful rather than something for which to strive). Children have learned lessons on wealth unlikely to be taught in schools, all the while scrolling through an endless list of videos, and they have begun to see the world from perspectives far outside those of the people in their inner circles.
The implications of exposure to class differences and discussions on TikTok are yet to be fully actualized, but one can already see some effects by watching the political shift of Gen Z. Historically, family has been a major determinant of one’s political attitudes, but many teens and young adults are distancing themselves from the political affiliations of their parents. A notable portion of Gen Z has gravitated toward leftist ideologies, specifically regarding the redistribution of wealth and the demise of capitalism. In a way, this is unsurprising. The generation of kids that grew up in the midst of the Great Recession and watches videos of people both richer and poorer than themselves has become disillusioned with the significant class divides capitalism and modern politics provide.
Ultimately, wealth and class make up a tiny fraction of the limitless content on TikTok, but their effects do not go unnoticed. Gen Z has a strong grasp on leveraging social media to instigate real-world change, and it will be interesting to see how the world shifts in response to its cultural and political movements. While TikTok videos may cut off after sixty seconds, their creators and their influence will stretch far into the future.
