Is our generation as progressive as we thought?
Donald Trump is set to begin his second term on January 20, 2025, this time having secured both the Electoral College and the popular vote. While we are quick to assume his reelection is a sign of a greater fall into a fascist oligarchy, that assumption does not represent the whole picture. We must realise history did not begin in November; there were signs alluding to Trump’s victory tracing back to his initial election in 2016, with Gen Z’s progression towards far-right ideologies acting as a gauge.
A recent indicator of this movement is the poll results following the elections. The 2024 exit polls showed that among individuals between the ages of 18 to 24, 54 percent voted for Harris compared to 43 percent for Trump. Upon further assessment, people of colour did most of the heavy lifting. Although forming almost 14 percent of the entire US population, Black voters in that age group disproportionately voted for Harris. On the other hand, young white voters were split 50-50, while those older leaned more toward Trump. Considering that white individuals make up 75 percent of the US population, their tendency towards the political right is concerning. They are a majority that has the power to sway culture, and this trend has been evident with the rise of far-right trends and language.
As of the late 2010s, racist, white supremacist, and nationalistic beliefs have resurged. Many new voters grew up during the infamous Gamergate, a contributor to the “manosphere”—an internet collective sharing misogynistic and racist beliefs—and rising disdain for marginalised groups. Following Gamergate, creators like Ben Shapiro and Adin Ross (the latter with 7.2 million followers on Kick) experienced a boost in popularity by appealing to dissatisfied teenagers. To aggravate the situation, politicians began to collaborate with them to increase influence by strategically aligning their agendas and using their influence to spread polarising narratives, as Trump did through collaboration with individuals such as Adin Ross.
These influencers’ remarks were echoed widely, contributing to an increase in the use of slurs, as observed by Reddit users asking why the derogatory language millennials fought to remove were reintroduced into our general lexicon. There is a general racist attitude present in Canada as well. Our politicians have positioned immigration as a source of blame for the housing bubble, despite an aging population and a housing market crisis having begun long before mass immigration. This way of thinking directly feeds into nationalism and xenophobia by urging our government to prioritise “real” citizens, often referring to the white populace, which creates a mindset that seeps into the vernacular.
Terms originating on websites like 4Chan have found their way into the popular lexicon. The BBC has linked online trends like “looksmaxxing” to roots in incel forums, particularly targeting young men. These terms are often used in regard to altering features to fit white European beauty standards. An investigation by the BBC into online looksmaxxing forums found they could “range from the helpful (basic hygiene tips) to harmful (spreading racism, sexism and body dysmorphia),” specifically targeting young men.
Similarly, social media has seen various phenomena of white-centric beauty trends and aesthetics like Coquette or Cottagecore, with Euro-centric philosophies. Frilly dresses, baby pink, thin white women, and traditionalism represent the 50s or a fictionalised post-societal time where we revert to living off the land. Such aesthetics uphold whiteness, and contribute to the broader cultural shift towards white supremacist beliefs that may build the foundations for the elections of individuals such as Donald Trump.
On the other hand, you could argue Gen Z’s progressiveness disproves my thesis. Most of the Free Palestine movement has been spearheaded by Gen Zs at college/university campuses. But generations are not monoliths. Not all Gen Zs attended these protests. 66 percent of Gen Z activism is done online according to United Way. Reposts or awareness posts were the extent of their activism, whilst celebrating if not plagiarising the efforts of those brave enough to protest. This is illustrative of an obsession with superficial presentation.
That obsession with the surface-level contributes to the rise of anti-intellectualism among Gen Z, ultimately creating a feedback loop that aligns with the factors behind Trump’s re-election. Anti-intellectualism, as seen with Gen Z, comes in the form of phrases like “it’s not that serious,” which is often an attempt to boil complex topics to bare bones—stripping them of complexities and nuance.
This rhetoric ties into their larger push for a return to traditional values—ones that tend to exclude the existence of marginalised peoples. It is reflected in “cottagecore’s escapist ideal of a self-sustained farm, whence the effects of our ugly history exist but the affected are invisible, to not disrupt the fantasy. They still reap the benefits without acknowledging the facts.
Racist thoughts are evidently not new, they have been used repeatedly to convince and coerce the masses. Many of us were blissfully unaware of America’s eventful turn to the right, but history often repeats itself. Regardless of progressive individuals among a generation, when the majority of a nation has begun shifting rapidly, this transformation will be visible in the government as well. Further, through an in-depth critique of our culture, the events become predictable. And if it weren’t Trump, it would be another radical politician. The cultural climate would simply breed more as they did with Vice-President JD Vance or Floridian Governor Ron DeSantis.
The ease to accept outwardly racist language and aesthetics built on erasure saw his election and other similar elections in the West. Nonetheless, even under oppressive governments, constant organising creates progress. The American public has the power to alter their governments as they represent the people. There is no time limit on progress.
