The problem isn’t with gen z— the problem is the culture of celebrity which can be attained through targeted harassment. Everyone with access to the internet knows there’s power in large followings and one of the easiest ways to get this is through manufactured dramatics.

People want out of their precarious and mundane lives. Having social currency in followers and social media presence is one of the few ways someone without capital can begin to amass power and influence over others.

Everyone of every generation does this and it’s becoming easier to acknowledge who is a grifter and who is genuine. The problem is we have no clear ethical guidelines for internet browsing because literal children are capable of leading months long harassment campaigns

Liberalism, choice activism, and internet celebrities are what’s wrong— not literal children mimicking the actions of older users who have been abusing call outs and academic jargon for social power.