T-minus 4 days until the World Cup final, and this competition has been one for the ages. France will potentially break the “winner’s curse,” while Argentina could give Messi his first World Cup trophy. Gen Zers have been obsessed with tracking the competition as it progressesm as well as fangirling over their favorite players. South Korean Cho Gue-Sung has been the subject of a scarily large amount of thirst trap edits, while football account 433 has gained millions of followers since the competition begun. Young people have also commented on the racism at games, the camraderie between players, and Mbappe’s dancing skills. Gen Z amounts for 22 percent of the tournament’s total global viewership, in part due to the social media discourse it has seen. Instagram notes from Wednesday’s game included “All my homies hate France” and “Vive la France.”
It’s not Halloween anymore, but Gen Z is still in the spooky spirit! The release of Netflix’s “Wednesday” has conjured up nostalgia and witchy vibes for young people worldwide — so much so, that it has become Netflix’s third most watched show of all time. Of course, the internet immediately fell in love with the series. Influencers styled Wednesday, drew the character, and modeled her dance from one of the show’s scenes. The latter went immediately viral, with stars like Kevin Chamberlain and the Old Gays participating. Even the love-to-hate Trisha Paytas chimed in with her take on Wednesday. Jenna Ortega, who plays Wednesday, has been in the Gen Z spotlight since her role on Disney’s “Stuck in the Middle” back in 2016. The internet fell back into love with her from “You” and “X.” Though Netflix has not announced a renewal yet, fans are hopeful due to its star status. Until then, I’ll be dancing the “Wednesday Dance” over and over!
Whether you loved “Everything Everywhere All At Once” (EEAAO) for its absurdism, incredible filmography, or dope kung fu scenes, the film was an instant hit. The A24 movie’s star, Michelle Yeoh, is a contender for the Golden Globe Awards’ “Best Actress” and has joined an adaptation of the musical “Wicked.” But, more than her accolades, Yeoh is known for her magnetic energy. Recognizing this, TIME Magazine named her “Icon of the Year.” Yeoh is both a multigenerational and a multinational star — her roles in “Tomorrow Never Dies,” “EEAAO,” and “Crazy Rich Asians” made her a legend for all ages, while her accolades in Malaysia, the US, and China bought her a global spotlight. Young people find Yeoh an “icon” due to her candid discussions on racism in the industry, her BeReal-taking ability, and her MILF-ness. If she won the “Best Actress” award at the Academy Awards, she would be the first Asian woman to do so. One thing is for certain: no matter what pursuit Yeoh finds next, she’ll forever be an icon to Gen Z and beyond.
It’s time for Indonesians to “Shut Up,” according to these students in the country. Action “Shut Up” (#TolakRkuhpNgawur) in which young Indonesians post a picture with their palm covering their mouth, is a reaction to the new criminal code. This legislation prohibits talk against the president, anti-government ideology, abortion or contraception talk, and sex or cohabitation before marriage. Other hashtags used are #SemuaBisaKena (“All can be,” referencing how anyone can be targeted) and #TibaTibaDipenjara (“Suddenly in prison”). Indigenous or Muslim Indonesians face discrimination under the law, as many live together while using non-official marriage proceedings. Indonesian activists have also pointed out Western media’s focus on the “sex before marriage” portion of the legislation — something that pales in comparison to *basically* every other part of the criminal code. A post from @studentbeans asked if young people would remove Bali from their bucket list. @0rchestrative Tweeted, “the way how western media mentions “banning pre-marital sex” in almost every of their news headlines … shows just how much they only view Indonesia (moreover Bali) as a tourism attraction rather than an actual country.” Hopefully, protesters are able to achieve their demands.
Are you normal or are you addicted to adding events to your Google Calendar? Zillennial Leila Hormozi’s Tweet about her stacked calendar (and $200M portfolio) led Gen Z Twitter users to poke fun at, well, Hormozi’s lack of fun. @GdoubleWB replied, “I’m 27 years old. And I recently made $200M. This is my daily routine:,” with a Cal saying “rob this b*tch.” @quakerraina Tweeted in response, “I’m 25,” with a Cal empty but for “all-day: Change invisalign.” Young people agreed that having every minute of their day planned out would be a nightmare. The excess of “meaningless” daily calls, compared with the small amount of actual work time, scared Gen Z. My Cal would look something like “9-5: Create elaborate fantasies in my head; 6-1: Binge K-dramas.” To each their own, I suppose.
✨ IYKYK ✨
✨ Instagram notes are here, and I am feeling very “The Slap” about it. You can post a note to your Close Friends list or your mutuals, with a new note removing the previous one. This feature is similar to messaging platforms of the early 2000s. Time to get a Pear Phone!
✨ Are you an emoji lover or hater? No matter what your feelings are, the “tell me only using emojis” trend is perfect for brands. ExitLag asked followers for their favorite video game, while the GRAMMYs polled user’s favorite performances. My favorite newsletter in emojis: 📱📸
✨ I don’t want to name names but … To call out someone on the DL, use this audio on TikTok. It has been used to talk about horror movies, autism, and YA novels. Get ready for some intense tea-spilling!
Screenshot of the Week
$150 tickets … in this economy?? @jordnsworld spoke for all of Gen Z in their Tweet about concert ticket prices. If I’m paying more than a full day of work to see an artist, it better be incredible.
