Trendy Doesn't Equal Happy

Issue #322 | March 11, 2025

Feeling the whiplash? This week, the New York Times reported on the exhausting reality of Gen Z’s microtrend fatigue. For creators, the constant pressure to stay ahead of the curve, to anticipate and capitalize on the next viral moment, has become a relentless chase. At the forefront of this trend-driven ecosystem are creators in the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle niches.

Casey Lewis, author of the Gen Z trend newsletter “After School,” notes, “Eventually, you’re just kind of like, ‘This is gross. Why am I even participating in this culture?’ I think creators and brands are increasingly having to answer to that understanding from young people.” She points to the growing weariness among younger audiences–a weariness that directly challenges the traditional model of trend-focused content creation.

This weariness is compounded by the fact that Gen Z is already experiencing a documented mental health crisis. Studies from the American Psychological Association reveal that Gen Z reports the highest rates of anxiety and depression compared to other generations, with social media and the pressure to maintain a perfect online persona often cited as contributing factors.

“It’s like getting dressed has become more an act of conformity than any show of personal style or personal expression,” 19-year-old college student Hana Tilksew told the New York Times.

In response, some creators take their cues from people like members of the ‘slow fashion’ YouTube community, who practice thrifting and upcycling. Matt D’Avella, for example, focuses on minimalist lifestyles and conscious consumption. Others, like Tilksew, have gone so far as to delete the apps that give them anxiety, a direct response to the overwhelming mental burden of constant trend exposure.

Trend chasing isn’t going anywhere. However, we can expect a shift towards slower consumption habits, or, perhaps, an outright rejection of algorithmically gamed influence, fueled by the undeniable force of Gen Z’s painfully acquired understanding: being on trend isn’t an automatic recipe for success, much less happiness.

– Andrew Fiouzi, Passionfruit Contributing Editor

PERSONALITIES

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IN THE BIZ

Trump indicated that he might issue another TikTok ban extension.
YouTube is taking a stand against online casinos.
Bluesky CEO Jay Graber poked fun at Mark Zuckerberg at SXSW with a T-shirt.
Game studios that helped Roblox grow into multibillion-dollar business say they’re being squeezed out.

PLATFORMS

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JOB BOARD

FitXR is looking for a Social Content Producer.
Niklas Christl is looking for an Animator.
UGC Factory is looking for a Voice Actor.
Quinn Rutledge is looking for a YouTube Scriptwriter.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

Passionfruit is celebrating our 50th episode of The Reactorverse Podcast! For this celebratory episode, we were joined by Maya from her channel KioshiWarrior.

Maya started her YouTube career with storytime videos, vlogs and music reactions as her main focus, but has recently broadened the scope of her work to cover film and tv as well. Check out our chat with her below!