Gen Z Turns Mundane Embarrassments Into Performative Content
Source: After School by Casey Lewis
Gen Z's "horror movie" trend—listing daily humiliations like missing the bus or bad hair days instead of actual films—trades in relatable mediocrity and self-deprecation. Users aren't showcasing achievements but commodifying their own failures for algorithmic resonance. The format works because younger consumers have internalized content virality as a default mode of self-expression rather than documentation. Being generically vulnerable has become the safest path to engagement.