All we ever hear about Gen Z (the cohort born between 1997 and 2012) is that 'they're work shy about everything... besides learning TikTok dance routines!' – but new data pours cold water straight on the theory that everyone in this age bracket is set on becoming an influencer.
Turns out, in a world where AI is on the rise and crushing entry-level job opportunities, and the social media landscape is fragmenting (falling foul of bots, deepfakes et al), those currently aged 14 to 29-years-old are planning alternative futures, that don't involve saying "Hi guys, welcome to my channel!" or posting GRWM confessionals.
Just 5% of Gen Z now say they would like to become an influencer, according to a Yahoo! poll, which starkly contrasts to a 2023 report by Morning Consult which put that figure at an enormous 57%.
Instead, the most popular dream career choice is an entrepreneur (18%) – and crucially, one who isn't in the spotlight (soz, Elon, your life – despite it containing an offensively large bank balance – is not highly appealing, it seems). Elsewhere, 17% said becoming a respected intellectual or professor is the most appealing (but... does that actually just mean becoming a bro podcast host that regurgitates pseudoscience and swerves fact-checking? Let's hope not), and 14% would like to be a doctor. Around 3% are keen to become lawyers.
Earlier this year, Employment Hero, a HR firm also noted a 16.8% rise in Gen Z entering the construction and trade industries, as many white collar industries make mass layoffs.
So, what does this show us? Well, given that just 9% of Gen Zers said they'd like to become famous – there's a real shift away from chasing clout and wanting to publicise private lives, in a bid to get ahead in the attention economy. Perhaps a realisation has dawned that the market is overcrowded, while being simultaneously set to a backdrop of people craving ways to engage in 'analogue living' – while videos, ironically, showing 9 to 5 office day routines, regularly go viral. Comments often comment on how soothing it must be to have structure, to know that day after day you'll wake up and wear a crisp white shirt and carry a salad in a jar in your backpack, before sitting at a desk that faintly whiffs of anti-bac spray.
There's a clear craving for stability, in a world that so far for those in their mid-teens to late twenties has been anything but: Financial crash! Pandemic! AI! Cost of living crisis! Housing market that resembles a Jenga block tower after the fateful brick keeping it together has been yanked out! Evidently, the next load of people to enter the economy are sick of working hard for others and want to be their own bosses, with a better work-life balance – maybe the kids will be alright after all, then?
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
