Why Gen Z Media is so Meaningless (Explained by a high school teacher)

Summary

The presenter argues that much contemporary Gen Z humor feels “meaningless” because it often relies on surprise and reaction rather than shared knowledge or cultural references. He recounts a media-literacy lesson in which students called a Drake and Josh meme “cringe” without recognizing the show or understanding several of the meme’s references. To him, this illustrates how memes from earlier generations often depended on shared cultural knowledge, while many newer memes—such as “John Pork is calling” or an absurd Among Us image—are funny primarily because they are unexpected.

He connects this shift to personalized social-media feeds and algorithms that reward content for provoking shock, confusion, or anger. In his view, constant exposure to rapidly changing, context-free posts can make people less attentive to meaning and more desensitized to disturbing material, including real violence shared as entertainment. He says this is not entirely new, but it is now more pervasive and easily accessible. He also worries that ironic, satirical, and deliberately absurd content can become hard to distinguish from reality when people are unfamiliar with what is being mocked.

The presenter contrasts this with earlier absurd or postmodern works, which could depict a chaotic world while still expressing ideas or offering hope. He suggests that fear of seeming “cringe” discourages Gen Z from caring openly or trying earnestly, and that this aversion to sincerity contributes to apathy. He also questions what future generations will feel nostalgic about, given how much current media consists of fast-moving internet content or nostalgia for earlier eras.

Despite his concerns, he sees students’ interest in shared activities—and a student-made video recorded with a 1990s camcorder—as signs of a desire for something more tangible. He says watching themselves in imperfect analog footage seemed to give students a sense of connection and identity. His conclusion is not that returning to old technology will solve the problem, but that families, schools, and society need to discuss how to foster meaningful, authentic relationships with media and one another.

Presenter

The Book & Movie Guy, who identifies himself as a high school teacher. He is not named in the subtitles. No other contributors are identified.