Opinion by Editorial
Disillusioned by the ‘toxic positivity’ culture shaped by millennials, and the ‘you’re not doing enough’ prod of the hustle era, Gen Z’s version of bettering life does not lie in sweeping things under the carpet. Instead, they acknowledge the grimness of the current moment while dreaming of a brighter future
That Cambridge Dictionary saw 1,30,000 searches for manifest this year tells a story of hope. In an age of loneliness and polarisation, it says: Even though they may not realise it, the young ones will be alright — so long as they can hold on to hope and laughter. If that’s manifestation, so be it.
Nov 23, 2024 02:00 IST First published on: Nov 23, 2024 at 02:00 IST
Mind over matter” is sage advice. Trust the power of positive thinking and focus on the right things for the right outcomes — it’s an attitude fix if there ever was one. This year, Cambridge Dictionary’s word of the year — “manifest” — is a version of the same concept. Defined as “to use methods such as visualisation and affirmation to help you imagine achieving something you want, in the belief that doing so will make it more likely to happen”, manifestation was picked up by Generation Z at a time of great global tumult: The surge in its popularity — there was a 600 per cent spike in Google searches for the word in 2020 — came at a time when the world was going into a pandemic-induced lockdown.
That people turn to prayer in times of darkness and uncertainty is well established. A Covid-19 study published by the National Library of Medicine, across 107 countries, noted a 30 per cent increase in Google searches for “prayer” during the pandemic. Likewise, while versions of “manifestation” have always existed, Generation Z seems to have put an affirming, even amusing spin on it (Remember the “Shut up, I’m manifesting” meme frenzy). Disillusioned by the “toxic positivity” culture shaped by millennials, and the “you’re not doing enough” prod of the hustle era, Gen Z’s version of bettering life does not lie in sweeping things under the carpet. Instead, they acknowledge the grimness of the current moment while dreaming of moving towards a brighter future. They manifest “dream jobs”, “moving out of parents’ homes” and “finding a great love” while being surrounded by failed relationships and job and housing crises.
That Cambridge Dictionary saw 1,30,000 searches for manifest this year tells a story of hope. In an age of loneliness and polarisation, it says: Even though they may not realise it, the young ones will be alright — so long as they can hold on to hope and laughter. If that’s manifestation, so be it.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
