this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2025
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I think it's Gen Alpha, not Gen Z.
A friend of mine teaches middle school maths, and every kid in the class is striving to be an influencer or twitch streamer, no other aspirations in life.
Eh, my partner and I are old and we say it ironically.
Sure, but I meant more that Gen Alpha are the ones adding it to modern slang by using it unironically and out of context
That makes sense!
I hear plenty of zoomers say it but I also don’t interact with gen alpha so have no idea if it started with them
To me it seems like GenZ started the phrase, but because they are the ones that really got streaming off the ground. Gen Alpha are the ones adding it to modern slang unironically and out of context
and this is why I limit Internet access to my kids.
I get compliments on how sweet and courteous my kids(under 10) are and get asked what my secret is. I tell parents, "YouTube only 30 minutes a week. all other internet content is blocked. no Facebook, tik tok, x, etc."
they give me the most confused and sometimes disgusted looks.
don't know when, but society became far too dependent on being "connected". it's far easier to give it up when it's your choice vs when it's taken from you.
At some point you should give them some more freedom. That's very restrictive on the connections they can make with their peers as they won't learn the cultural norms.
You're not benefitting them in the long term, they will be stunted in their grasp of the Internet, which is very important in today's landscape. They will also go behind your back to access the internet with NO restrictions rather than you being able to block some of the worst stuff and letting them access normal stuff.
Granted if they're under 10 that's fine, but consider opening up as they get older.
IMO, Facebook being adopted by Baby Boomers was a big player in becoming too dependent.
Good on you, though. Teach those kids to touch grass as a normal activity!
There's no longer any realistic path to wealth for anyone who doesn't have nepotism on their side.
You're not wrong, but I very seriously doubt this is what's going through the kids' heads
Kids are smarter than we give them credit for. It’s like kids dreaming of being actors or singers or athletes.
Even if they think their teachers are good people, they clearly see that they don’t drive fancy cars. Even if their parents are middle income earners, they aren’t as famous or rich as the people babysitting them on screen. It may be more obnoxious and more piped straight into their eyeballs now but it’s hardly new.
Hell I’m a grown ass adult and I think about every once in a while.
I didn't imply kids were dumb or unobservant, I just meant they are not thinking as deeply as that comment I replied to. What you say is much simpler: they see teacher driving a hoopty while xQC has millions of dollars and does whatever the fuck he wants. That's a natural reaction to want to be like the person that isn't seemingly struggling; and you're right, it isn't new at all.
I don't think the kids are considering nepotism and the nuanced path to wealth, though. They just see streaming/influencing can make a lot of money and that's probably as far as it goes.
Have fun talking to chat which is at most 3 people for years while waiting for your breakthrough
Not who you responded to, but when I play with the idea of starting streaming, that's the kind of vibe I wish for, not the breakthrough part
Nothing wrong with that, but it's not what the kids are looking for
While i agree with the general thing, I also truly think reality is more nuanced. I used to be a high-school teacher, and a lot of those kids just yearn for sincere socialising opportunities in general, more than celebrity success (even if some do also have that goal)