Millennial vs Zoomer

Older Zoomers vs Younger Zoomers

Over on X, Dylan Smith (@heaveninterface) notices the stark differences between kids born in the 90s and those born in the aughts. He's not wrong. Except about calling people born in 1996 "Zoomers". Related: Lost Generations A model's worth is dependent on its predictive value. As we've seen, demographic models…
September 5, 202423 Comments
Zoomer Science Fiction

Is Science Fiction Doomed After Generation X?

As the literary landscape shifts, we might be witnessing a significant transition in genre dominance. Science fiction, once a staple of speculative fiction, may be losing ground to fantasy, particularly among younger readers like Generation Z. The unique cultural and societal factors shaping Gen Z suggest that science fiction’s popularity…
September 3, 202418 Comments
Marble Hornets

The Link From Gen Y Nostalgia to Gen Z Horror

Our recent post on analog horror brought out a lot of folks to comment. It was especially edifying to get more of the Millennial view on the genre. Related: Analog Horror: The Past as Nightmare, Not Nostalgia The most copious treatment of the subject comes from commenter Rudolph Harrier: This…
August 14, 202410 Comments
Analog Horror

Analog Horror: The Past as Nightmare, Not Nostalgia

In recent years, a fascinating trend has emerged within the horror genre that has captivated the imaginations of Generation Z: analog horror. Cribbing the aesthetics of VHS tapes, public access television, and other analog media, this subgenre is the opposite of retrowave. Becauuse instead of eliciting nostalgia for simpler times,…
August 13, 20249 Comments
Online Nostalgia

Millennial Online Nostalgia

Around here we've spent a great deal of time detailing generational tendencies. When it comes to nostalgia for their long-gone childhood years, Gen Y is notorious for living in the past, while Millennials are notorious for consigning anything from the before time to the memory hole. But recently, a new…
August 7, 202415 Comments

Generational Stereotypes Work

Stereotypes catch a bad rap. But when you get to the heart of the matter, all they are is hyper-efficient ways of transmitting common understandings. For example, we all know the trope of the clueless Boomer clicking his tongue at younger generations who haven't made out as well as he…
August 6, 202413 Comments
abused generation

Failed Generations Are Abused Generations

Adjacent to discussions of Cultural Ground Zero theory is speculation as to what went wrong. Generation X was passed over for any position of authority. Gen Y creatives can only churn out shallow pastiches of superior 80s and 90s entertainment. It's an open secret in the video game industry that…
July 31, 202417 Comments

Zoomer Uses 1980s Technology for a Week

Stop the press. The haywire internet algorithms' varioius malfuncitons aligned in such a way as to make a useful suggestion. This digital miracle occurred over the weekend, when YouTube recommended a video wherein a Zoomer uses 1980s technology for a week. For over fifteen minutes, I watched enrapt as YouTuber…
July 29, 202416 Comments
Pizza Hut Lunch Buffet 2

In Surprise Move, Pizza Hut Brings Back Buffet

The phenomeonon of most Pizza Hut locations switching from dine-in to carryout only was viewed by many as a sign of terminal societal decline. But now, in a surprise move all the more unforeseen in the wake of Corona-chan, Gen Y's favorite pizza chain is bringing its legendary lunch buffet…
July 16, 20248 Comments
Akira Ground Zero Rubble

Diggers in the Rubble of Cultural Ground Zero

During my recent sojorun into small town America, a family member guided me on a whirlwind tour of the local game stores and arcades. Yes, they still have arcades, plural. As it turns out, small towns are not immune to Generation Y's nigh-religious attachment to pop culture relics of the …
July 11, 20244 Comments