Polywork and Shein Addiction

Your daily digest of youth culture

Jun 23, 2021

Everyone’s thirsty for friends, we all have “main-character energy” now, young people are embracing “polywork,” maximalist prints are in for the youths, Bed Bath & Beyond makes a play for Gen Z, and…

HOW BRANDS GET CUSTOMERS ADDICTED TO SHOPPING

Shein, et al. are using gamification (rewarding not just purchases, but also site visits, email opens, product reviews, etc.) to get young people hooked on spending with them. bof

SECONDHAND MARKET MAY BE TWICE THE SIZE OF FAST FASHION BY 2030, SAYS THREDUP

Thanks in large part to Gen Z (but no thanks to Shein). fastco // Related: Shoppers say they would buy more secondhand clothes if they could skip the sales tax, survey says. cnbc

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GEN Z’S MEDIA CONSUMPTION HABITS

You probably already know most of this already, but as a former ~Gen Z media founder~, I still enjoyed every single word of this. But especially this: “If I’m looking for unprofessional things, I’ll go to a social media site before I go to Vogue or Refinery29.” digiday (This is gated content, but worth the effort of running through Pocket to read in full.)

TIKTOK AND SPOTIFY TEAM UP WITH MAKEUP BRAND MAC USING AR TO INSPIRE 'SELF-LOVE'

The AR lens — which allows users to try on new lip colors and share the results — is a particularly nice touch. adweek // Related: Kyra Media — the Gen Z media company that previously launched a fashion publication on TikTok — was just named the agency of record for Jack In The Box’s TikTok efforts. mediapost

DATING APPS, PLEASE DO LESS

“Tinder and other dating apps are trying to copy TikTok. But why watch 'fun' videos of some stranger when you can... just hook up?” A valid question! vice // Plus: Netflix's new dating show has singles dress up as animals to find true love. (Is being single right now really That Bad? I refuse to believe it.) hypebae

IS ILLNESS APPROPRIATION TIKTOK'S MOST TROUBLING TREND?

To be fair, people have been faking sickness for clout since the internet was invented, but this is still depressing. i-D // Related: The rise of therapist influencers. verily (I understand that the democratization of therapy is…good, but the rise of therapists-who-are-influencers — combined with the New York Mag cover story about the rise of therapy apps — feels like a bad Black Mirror episode to me.)

One last thought: