This is part 5 of a multi-chapter trend report by Berlin-based creative impact studio Very Good Looking, uncovering some of the cultural undercurrents influencing how especially young audiences will react to marketing efforts and impact-driven storytelling in 2026 and beyond.
If you haven’t read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 yet, it’s best to start there.
Global Drivers of Doom
We discussed the rising doomerism in younger generations in prior chapters, and touched on some of the reasons behind it. In this chapter, let’s look at the bigger picture of why this is happening.
Multiple large-scale forces have converged to sour the mood of young people and pull many away from the optimistic idealism of prior decades.
Key contributors include:
1. Economic Frustration and Inequality
Gen Z and Millennials inherited stagnant economies where young adults are often worse off than their parents at the same age. Job security, home ownership, and financial stability all feel out of reach for many under 30. They came of age during or after the 2008 financial crisis and then got hit by the pandemic recession — experiences that thoroughly undermined their faith in the future. In real terms, 25-29-year-olds in many Western countries today are no better off than their 80s counterparts.1
Altruism feels like a luxury when you struggle to pay rent.
Seeing adulthood turned into a precarious hustle, many young adults prioritize personal survival or success over lofty ideals of changing the world. Altruism can feel like a luxury few can afford when you’re struggling to pay rent.
Stagnant wages, high student debt, and sky-high housing costs have left young people cynical about the ‘system.’ As one analysis put it, they were told “you can be anything,” but then found basic milestones priced as if “meant for a Bond villain” — an observation that manages to beautifully capture the absurd cost of housing, healthcare, and education today, especially when compared to the circumstances of that generation’s parents.2
2. Political Polarization and Paralysis
Over the past decade, governance in both the U.S. and parts of Europe has been marred by gridlock and extremism. Young observers have watched institutions fail to solve crisis after crisis, from repeated recessions to the COVID-19 pandemic.3
Instead of bold solutions, they often saw older-generation leaders offer spin, partisan bickering, or half-measures. This bred a profound distrust in the wider political and societal system. In surveys, barely half of French under-35s even believe voting is an effective way to express dissatisfaction.4 And in the U.S., only 16% of Gen Z say they have a great deal of trust in Congress or the presidency.5
Many young people have essentially given up on traditional politics, doubting that peaceful, incremental democratic change can address issues like climate change or inequality. This disillusionment creates openness to more radical or cynical worldviews.
For some, it means disengaging entirely (nihilism); for others, it means flirting with authoritarianism or a ‘burn it all down’ approach. Polls found nearly 1 in 5 Americans under 30 believe political violence can be justified, roughly double the rate of older adults.6 Likewise, significant minorities of youth say they’d support authoritarian governance if it “gets things done”. These are alarming signs of democratic fatigue.
Essentially, after seeing so much political dysfunction, young people crave change by any means necessary — even if that means abandoning the moral high ground of nonviolence or liberal democracy.
3. Social Media and the Alternate Reality
The omnipresence of social media has profoundly shaped Gen Z’s worldview. On one hand, online platforms amplified progressive causes during the 2010s (think viral climate strikes or #MeToo). On the other hand, by the 2020s, algorithm-driven feeds became inundated with misinformation, outrage, and “alternative facts.” Young people scroll through a daily doom-feed of crises and contentious hot takes — a digital environment that easily breeds cynicism and extremism. As alluded in prior chapters, sincerity is often mocked online, while snark and outrage are rewarded with virality.7 This incentivizes negativity over constructive idealism.
Moreover, social media’s echo chambers have accelerated the spread of conspiracy theories and tribal thinking.
In the void of lost trust in media, fringe narratives flourish.
Growing up online, younger generations have been exposed to a cacophony of half-truths and untruths, leaving them constantly unsure what (or who) to believe. Trust in media is accordingly abysmally low: Only ~20–30% of Gen Zers express confidence in the press or internet news.8
In that void, fringe narratives flourish. The rise of QAnon-style conspiracy beliefs during late 2010s/early 2020s showed that younger people were not immune to ‘alternative facts’. But even those who don’t believe conspiracies may adopt a ‘nothing is true, everything is BS’ outlook. This epistemic cynicism erodes the appeal of being ‘morally right’ or even factual, since facts themselves have become politicized and people feel they can choose whatever truth suits their worldview.
In short, the social media era has left many younger consumers jaded and numb, bombarded by bad news and competing claims to truth, which feeds a mentality of ‘why bother doing good or seeking truth’.
4. Cultural Backlash and Identity Fatigue
The 2010s were a time of rapidly shifting social norms (gender, race, sexuality, etc.), and Gen Z largely spearheaded or embraced those changes. But the swift progress also provoked a backlash that has hit its peak in the mid-2020s.
The Trump presidencies were enabled by an “anti-woke” crusade, targeting everything from diversity training to climate policies. This has normalized open disdain for so-called “social justice warriors” and virtue signaling. Young people (who once proudly championed indisputably good causes) now face online vitriol or even laws countering their activism (e.g. rollbacks of LGBTQ rights or abortion rights). The result is activist burnout — many feel their efforts only sparked cultural wars and made them targets of ridicule. For instance, terms like “woke,” “feminist,” or “environmentalist” became punchlines in certain circles, which discourages moderate folks from identifying that way. Gen Z, being chronically online, are acutely aware of these culture war skirmishes. Some have chosen to lay low or even mock their own former idealism before others can.
Anecdotally, this could explain why interest in previously “moral” lifestyles (like veganism or minimalism) fell off. People grew tired of the sanctimony and the social backlash. Likewise, the pivot of some young voters to far-right or reactionary politics is likely partly a rebellious reaction against what they see as a suffocating politically correct mainstream.
In essence, a portion of youth have decided it’s more exciting or authentic to be politically incorrect (even “evil” by prior standards) than to be a goody-two-shoes. This attitude shift has been reinforced by charismatic provocateurs (both online influencers and populist politicians) who glamorize flouting the old moral rules.
5. Pandemic, War, and Other Crises
Finally, recent historic events have deeply shaken young people’s outlook.
The COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022) robbed many Gen Zers of formative years, disrupted education and social life, and further eroded trust in authorities. It also normalized doomsday discourse — suddenly everyone was talking about death rates and societal shutdowns, which fueled a “disaster mindset.” Surveys show the pandemic left Gen Z feeling less in control and more anxious about the future than ever.9
In Europe, the shock of war returning with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (2022) also had an impact, raising geopolitical fears (including of nuclear conflict) among a generation that never knew Cold War dread. It also contributed to economic strains (energy crises, inflation) that hit young, low-income groups hardest.
Living through these cascading crises has reinforced a worldview of permanent instability. Older generations at least have memories of calmer times; younger ones see chaos as the norm. This chronic stress and uncertainty can manifest as either heightened idealism (some youth doubled down on activism, seeing crises as a call to action) or as heightened nihilism: “When catastrophe is inevitable, why fight it?”
Unfortunately, many appear to be trending toward the latter.
For example, climate activists have noted a rise in “climate doomers” — young people who despair that nothing can be done and disengage, in contrast to the hopeful activism of the late 2010s.10
Similarly, the pandemic gave rise to humor and aesthetics around apathy (“doomer girl”-memes, etc.), reflecting a coping mechanism of embracing gloom. Each new crisis without a clear resolution chips away at the belief that doing good matters. Collectively, these global events have forged a youth identity, which according to one writer has turned heartbreak into anger or apathy – an entire generation that feels betrayed by broken promises of a better world.11
Where do we go from here?
In the next (final) chapter, we will get to a final conclusion and share a list of takeaways and action items for purpose-driven brands to address this paradigm shift.
