Aestheticized Economic Insecurity

As our economy grows steadily more unequal and unforgiving, many of us have doubled down on our fantasies, hoping that in ceaseless toil, we will find whatever it is we are looking for, become whoever we yearn to become. This, Malesic says, is a false promise.

A viral tweet showing a small basket of groceries and the caption “One day you’ll be buying groceries to cook dinner in the small apartment you rent” sparked debate over how Gen Z is romanticizing basic survival costs. Many saw it as proof that “we’ve literally reached an economic point of no return,” with users noting that “surviving basic life... See more