It used to be that Millennials were the great generational shame. We were accused of killing off everything from golf to the diamond industry (really), and generally being woke snowflakes who were too sensitive. Gen Z, on the other hand, were the saviour generation, waiting in the wings to swoop in with climate activism and to bring about a better world.
Now the shoe is on the other foot. Us Millennials may be considered uncool forever, but we’re the only ones who are digital natives — able to save a PDF and use keyboard shortcuts that would make our Boomer colleagues weep — but haven’t had our brains rotted by YouTube and TikTok since childhood. Meanwhile Gen Z aren’t keen on partying, or sex in movies, but apparently are getting super into fascism.
Over half of people in the UK aged between 13 and 27 want the country to be a dictatorship, according to a new poll from Channel 4. Not only would they prefer to do away with democratic institutions such as elections and parliament, the gender divide is particularly stark. Of the young men surveyed, 45 per cent agreed with the statement that “we have gone so far in promoting women’s equality that we are discriminating against me” and “when it comes to giving women equal rights, things have gone far enough”.
Fascist is not a word to throw around lightly, but embracing authoritarianism and machismo, corresponding with a rejection of the modern and disdain for women, are core components of this far-right ideology. Fascists are not just coked-up middle-aged Tommy Robinson fans rioting in London’s streets, they are people on the cusp of adulthood. Almost 150 of the people arrested during last summer’s anti-immigration riots were literal children, some as young as 11.
The signs of this swing to the farthest reaches of the right have been apparent for a while. Gen Z has already embraced a fairly puritanical approach to traditionalism, railing against sexually explicit material in the arts and eschewing hedonistic activities. The popularity of right-wing “manosphere” influencers such as Andrew Tate among young men has been well documented. Reform UK is the third most popular party for young men aged 18 to 24 according to post-election analysis by YouGov. Over in America, young MAGA supporters are revelling in their Trump win, openly celebrating that they feel they can now use outdated slurs without reproach. LINK?
This surge in fascist ideology is not an aberration, but a part of well documented phenomenon. Social psychologists and behaviour scientists understand culture in terms of social norms — behaviours that a group of people, deem acceptable. In times of plenty, social norms are often more relaxed, contributing to a “loose” culture that is more permissive. But in times of threat — war, famine and disaster, but also economic hardship and now climate change — social norms become far more restrictive and culture becomes “tight”.
“When people perceive threat — whether real or imagined, they want strong rules and autocratic leaders to help them survive,” explains psychologist Professor Michele Gelfand. Gelfrand has written an entire book on the subject of tight-loose cultures, Rule Makers Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World. “My research has found that within minutes of exposing study participants to false information about terrorist incidents, overpopulation, pathogen outbreaks, and natural disasters, their minds tightened,” Gelfrand told scientific journal Behavioural Scientist. “They wanted stronger rules and punishments.”
Having a tight culture can be advantageous to a group if it needs to organise against a threat. It’s a survival instinct that helped us make it through history, together. But along with being social creatures, humans are entirely fallible. If we perceive threats to come from outside the group, outsiders in general can be demonised. This is how populism sneaks in.
On the tight-loose spectrum, the UK is arguably at the tighter end of the scale. Our economy is flat-lining and last year 946,000 young people (12.3 per cent) aged 16 to 24 were not in employment, education or training, per the Office for National Statistics. Rents are continuing to soar and homeownership is nothing but a pipe dream for young people. They are also the people whose educations and employment prospects were most disrupted by the pandemic.
No jobs, no homes, no hope for a future, is it any wonder that they are turning on each other like rats in a sack? Right-wing figures willing to pose as strongmen and blame people’s woes on women or immigrants taking their resources become all the more attractive when people are desperate for a concrete target for their distress. Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, Andrew Tate are all right-wing grifters promising success to those who join them in shunting blame on traditional out-groups such as women and minorities.
It’s tempting to re-iterate the gaping flaws in right-wing ideology. Women having more rights isn’t why young men can’t get jobs (or a date.) Immigration is net positive for an economy, and certainly doesn’t fast track anyone for social housing or benefits. But we can’t just logic young people out of falling for fascist talking points. Also, the climate is on fire right now and it’s getting pretty stressful for everyone.
The left has to put aside in-fighting and offer a more compelling vision for the future. And there’s plenty to be hopeful for: 47 per cent of the young people surveyed by Channel 4 said they believe society “must be radically changed through revolution”. Plenty of young people are still at the vanguard of our fight for a better future. Greta Thunberg, for one, has refused to become a patsy for toothless climate commitments and lent her voice to a variety of interlinked justice causes (attracting baseless smear campaigns in the process.)
Writing off Gen Z as a lost cause will only give more power to the fash and push more young people towards radicalisation. Millennials and progressives from other generations have to work harder to centre young people in their activism. Revolution is still possible — we just can’t let it be an authoritarian one.
