Alpha Aura and Unemployment Eras

big day for beliebers

Jul 11, 2025

Doechii is on the cover of British Vogue; Cardi B is the queen of Paris Couture Week; Travis Scott is dropping Jackboys 2 on Sunday; and this new Justin Bieber album is going to absolutely dominate the summer (if you don’t believe me, just look at TikTok). I’m a Purpose girl myself, but the Dijon/Mk.gee vibes are perfect for the moment.

WHAT IS ‘AURA FARMING’? THIS TWEEN WILL SHOW YOU., nytimes
An 11-year-old Indonesian boy named Dika has gone viral for his rizzed-up dance during a centuries-old boat race in Riau. His moves quickly turned into a meme that transcended platforms and catapulted the Gen Alpha-coined term “aura farming,” which means the act of building one's cool factor through repetition, into the mainstream. Thousands have posted themselves riffing on the trend, including Travis Kelce, whose version has over 15 million views. Dika’s sudden fame has earned him a tourism ambassadorship, a $1,200 scholarship, and global virality few tweens can claim.

CHILDREN LIMITING OWN SMARTPHONE USE TO MANAGE MENTAL HEALTH, theguardian
The number of 12-to-15-year-olds who say they take breaks from smartphones, computers, and iPads is now 40% — an 18% increase since 2022, according to GWI. Rather than relying on parental controls, young people are self-regulating: 24% delete apps for mental health, and nearly half of 16- to 24-year-olds now silence notifications. One expert called this shift “an act of rebellion,” as teens increasingly reject the idea that growing up online is inevitable (…which brings to mind Kyle Chayka’s excellent piece that I mentioned yesterday about the “posting ennui” afflicting young people).

GEN ZERS ARE POSTING THEIR UNEMPLOYMENT ERA ON TIKTOK, fastcompany
It feels like just yesterday that “quiet quitting” was TikTok’s dominant labor trend; now, young people are documenting their “Unemployed Girl Summers,” turning their job hunt despair into viral content. One creator, laid off since September after 700+ applications and 30+ interviews, jokes that half her day is spent on LinkedIn and the other “looking for a Waymo to run me over.” A recruiter’s viral video noted, “I’ve literally never seen candidates struggle as much as they are right now,” echoing broader labor data: long-term unemployment is at its highest since 2021, with many job seekers stuck for over six months.

INSIDE THE WALL STREET RECRUITMENT WARS PITTING BANKS AGAINST BUYOUT FIRMS, wsj
The job market isn’t doom and gloom for everyone: Private equity firms are aggressively recruiting Gen Z analysts fresh out of college — often before they’ve even started jobs at big banks like JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs — for roles that begin in two to three years out. Starting salaries in private equity can top $300,000, luring young workers away from the typical six-figure investment banking track. Banks are going on the defense: Morgan Stanley now requires analysts to disclose future offers, and JPMorgan threatens to fire analysts who accept offers within their first 18 months.

SPREADSHEETS AND DAY TRIPS TO EGYPT: HOW GEN Z IS ‘SOFT SAVING’ FOR THE FUTURE, theguardian
Despite 60% of Gen Zers earning under $50K annually, this generation averages three leisure trips a year by using spreadsheets, loyalty points, and off-peak deals to maximize their money. Today’s young adults prioritize the value of a trip ahead of its financial cost, according to Heather Leisman, president of EF Ultimate Break, a travel agency for 18-to-35-year-olds. “Gen Z looks at value,” she said. “For them it’s not a price tag.” I really love this quote, which neatly sums up how Gen Z thinks about spending, generally: value over price tag.

One last thought: