Generation Z needs to be a vanguard of progressive politics – more queer, more ethnically diverse and more environmentally conscious than previous generations. Spurred by climate protests, racial equality campaigns and feminist movements, we were sold the vision that Generation Z could usher in a more progressive and just future.
So how is it that Donald Trump was elected to a second term though this cohort is now of voting age? And how did he win a bigger share of voters under 30 than some other Republican presidential candidate since? 2008?
The answer may lie within the “Lost Boys” of Generation Z, as some media outlets call them. Not unlike the scholars of Peter Pan, these young men are unable to mature and find meaning in today's rapidly changing social and economic landscape. They feel ignored and disadvantaged by left-wing politics and current economic developments.
In Trump they see an outlet for his or her grievances – a figure who guarantees to revive the old order and provides them the popularity they consider they deserve.
Many young people see no future
Despite the narrative that Generation Z is more progressive than previous cohorts, current voting data for young men tells a distinct story. While the political leanings of Generation Z women have remained stable left of centerTrump's popularity amongst young men skyrocketed 15 percentage points from 2020.
To understand why so many young men are drawn to Trump's populism, it will be important to think about the broader social context by which they’re coming of age. The “Lost Boys” within the United States are disproportionately working class and battle with unemployment, underemployment, addiction and mental health crises.
The Statistics are alarming. With one in five men under 25 unemployed (and plenty of not actively searching for work), it seems they’re hesitantly adapting to a brand new economy that not offers them the opportunities they once had.
Against this backdrop, young men seek explanations for his or her struggles that validate their sense of injustice. These explanations are sometimes present in the “manosphere” – a loose coalition of social media platforms and influencers awash with discussions about how “woke” politics, feminism and the rise of progressive values are undermining traditional masculinity.
John G Fragrance/EPA
In these corners of the Internet, young men are told that their personal setbacks usually are not the results of one weakening global economy or personal failings, but moderately the results of a society that has develop into too “soft”. They hear that the push for gender equality has led to traditional masculinity becoming a thing of the past – to men being ignored, emasculated and left behind.
The “manosphere” is an area where their grievances are validated and where they’re encouraged to adopt hypermasculine ideals to regain control.
Looking for validation
Enter Trump.
Commuting between Manosphere influencers like Joe Rogan And Adin RossTrump spent hours on podcasts and streams within the lead-up to November fifth. The result was so effective that podcasters were specifically targeted across the web Speech declaring victory following the election. Ever since Trump got into politics, he has done this 107 Podcast credits to his name, in comparison with Kamala Harris' 76.
Notably, Harris' own interview with Rogan fell through since the podcaster refused accept their conditionswhich also included traveling to their meeting.
In these online spaces, Trump appeared humorous and humanized. And for Gen Z men, who eat more news through social media than traditional media, it was very accessible. Suddenly he was not only a presidential candidate, but an authorized “brother” willing to debate openly Cocaine in a podcast.
Trump successfully capitalized on the frustrations of those “Lost Boys.” His politics – from Mass deportations to curbing diversity initiatives—are presented as solutions to the challenges these men face: competition for jobs and opportunities, the erosion of masculine ideals, and the lack of a once-dominant social order.
But as Trump marches onto the stage of the Republican National Convention with James Brown's It's a Man's Man's Man's World playing within the backgroundit becomes clear that his appeal was never nearly politics; it's about validation. His slogan, “Make America Great Again,” resonates with young men who yearn for an idealized past where men’s roles are more clearly defined and opportunities are more varied.
Trump is telling these men that their frustration is justified — and that they need to take back what they consider was unjustly taken from them.
Where to from here?
If the longer term belongs to Generation Z, it is evident that this particular subgroup of young men isn’t able to follow the identical path as their progressive peers. For many Lost Boys, Trump is greater than only a political figure – he’s an emblem of empowerment in a world that’s increasingly leaving them behind.
As the political and cultural landscape continues to evolve, understanding this phenomenon isn’t only a matter of curiosity, but a key to meeting the needs of a generation still trying to seek out its place in a confusing world.
Until figures on the political left learn to be present in these spaces and confront the grievances of the Lost Boys, we may proceed to see them rallying around figures like Trump in the hunt for meaning.
image credit : theconversation.com