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💡 Gen Z is giving everyday life a rebrand, renaming mundane tasks sometimes for fun, sometimes as a coping mechanism

💡 They’ve turned getting ready into an “opening shift,” not spending into “loud budgeting,” and impulse shopping into “doom spending”

💡They’re also adding a creative spin to life’s ups and downs—whether by making daily moments “more whimsical” or reframing their struggles as “lore”

Gen Z has mastered the art of the rebrand—turning everyday moments into something more exciting and intentional, all in the name of putting their own “silly little” wants first. In 2022, instead of just saying they’re going through a phase, they started saying it was a new “era” (no doubt thanks to Taylor Swift). In 2023, Gen Z collectively decided that eating a random assortment of snacks instead of a full meal wasn’t just a lazy dinner—it was “girl dinner.” And it doesn’t stop there. A walk outside? A “hot girl walk.” Staying in bed to rest and recharge? That’s “bed rotting.” For the simplest actions, Gen Z is rebranding the mundane, making them feel more purposeful (and often, more post-worthy).  

Of course, not every Gen Z rebrand has staying power. YPulse’s Main Character Energy trend report explored how Gen Z turned focusing on themselves into being the “main character” of their lives—but that phrase had its moment before fizzling out. And let’s not forget when the internet totally rejected Bottle Night. Some things just aren’t meant to be the next big trend—stop trying to make fetch happen! 

Still, whether these rebrands go viral or fade fast, one thing is clear: Gen Z knows how to make life feel like an aesthetic. Back in 2023, YPulse predicted that Gen Z’s love for rebranding would only grow. In 2024, we predicted Gen Z would continue giving entire seasons rebrands, following in the footsteps of “brat summer” and “demure fall.” Here are some of the biggest and most viral rebrands from the past few months, proving once again that no one romanticizes life quite like Gen Z: 

Gen Z is rebranding “storytime” content, and just oversharing, into “lore drops”      

Gen Z is turning their real lives into plotlines straight out of a novel. This started with literary terms like “main character energy,” “for the plot,” and now has been rebranded to “lore” for narrating their experiences. “Lore” used to be reserved for books, games, and fantasy worlds, but Gen Z has rebranded it to refer to the random, defining details of someone’s life. Have a bizarre childhood memory, dramatic family feud, a past fashion phase they’d rather forget? That’s lore.  

And Gen Z isn’t just keeping it between friends anymore—they’re dropping it all over social media. (Because they’re totally addicted to watching others do the same.) The word became popular on TikTok in late 2022 and, by spring 2023, turned into a full-fledged trend where people started sharing snippets of their “personal lore.” Now, they post “lore drops” with influencers and creators alike using these personal stories to connect with their audience. One TikTok with 53K likes shows a sister duo offloading for over three minutes about the rules at their dad’s house. Another with 264K likes shows a creator sharing a story of an unbelievable encounter while at a bar with her boyfriend. Which, yes, Millennials, is exactly what “story time” YouTube videos were—we said it was a rebrand! 

Lifestyle influencers have rebranded morning routines as “opening shifts” 

Similar to the already popular “closing shift” (a.k.a. tidying up before bed), this rebranding of a morning routine to an “opening shift” reframes the start of the day as a series of intentional tasks to set themselves up for success. Instead of just going through the motions—hitting snooze, chugging caffeine, jumping in the shower—this trend encourages young people to take on their mornings with purpose, as if they’re preparing to “open” for the day ahead. And the best part? Their opening shifts are completely customizable. 

One TikTok with 16K likes shows the creator doing her facial routine and organizing her house ahead of the day, while another shows the creator reorganizing their skincare and emptying out their dishwasher. The point is that they tailor their “opening shifts” to fit their lifestyles and goals. It can be as long and detailed or as quick and simple as they’d like, as long as it helps them feel organized and successfully kick off the day. And of course, it’s a form of self-care—anything lifestyle-related can be considered a wellness practice if it makes them feel good. (Because they rebranded that, too.) 

“Loud budgeting” is Gen Z’s rebrand of money management     

Gen Z isn’t just creating fun, quirky ways to romanticize their lives—they’re also rebranding how they talk about money. For Gen Z, financial anxiety is high (thanks to the cost-of-living crisis and impossible housing market), so they’ve coined new terms to make their financial spending feel more manageable and relatable.  “Loud budgeting” is the Gen Z rebrand of being upfront about their financial limits. Can’t swing that $300 trip or overpriced brunch? Say so—loudly. Instead of making excuses, Gen Z is telling people outright that something doesn’t fit in their budget. And it’s not about being broke; it’s about being intentional. In one TikTok with 1.6M views and 180K likes, creator Lukas Battle explains it as, “It’s not, ‘I don’t have enough,’ it’s ‘I don’t want to spend.’” 

And they’re rebranding impulsive buying as “doom spending”  

Speaking of their finances, Gen Z is rebranding their impulsive buys as “doom spending.” Instead of saving for a future that feels uncertain at best and impossible at worst, this young gen is leaning into a “treat yourself now” mentality. A Harris Poll survey shows Gen Z consumers are more likely than older gens to say it is better to treat themselves now rather than hold off for a future “that feels like it could change at any moment.” But beyond the just the economy, constant exposure to bad news—combined with the algorithm-fed shopping hauls and influencer lifestyles—creates a perfect storm of financial FOMO. 

Rather than just calling it impulsive shopping, they’re typing their spending habits to the larger state of the world—the economy, politics, or whatever crisis is dominating their feeds. So, when they overspend, they’re writing it off with the doom of everything else. (It doesn’t feel as bad that way.) In fact, our upcoming Finance and Spending report shows that 44% of 18-24-year-olds have participated in “doom spending,” a.ka. buying things as a way to cope with negative feelings about the economy, politics, or other issues.  

Gen Z’s new rebrand for “having fun” is having a “whimsical” life 

Like we said, Gen Z has a talent for romanticizing the mundane parts of their lives—and now they’re even rebranding that concept. Enter the “whimsical life” trend, where Gen Z is rebranding having fun into making every day feel a little more magical. And honestly? It’s adorable. It all started when TikToker @abigail.bailey0 went viral for asking a simple, yet heartwarming question: “Girlies, what are some little things you do to be more whimsical? I love knowing about cute little habits.” And the comments flooded in—now over 50K. Some said they treat their chores like a game (calling dishwashing “bath time” for their plates), others whisper sweet nothings to their favorite coffee mugs, and plenty have full-on conversations with their pets about their days. It’s all about adding small, silly joys to everyday life, which Gen Z really feels like they need.  

And whimsy isn’t just about talking to inanimate objects (though it does give major Disney princess energy). TikTokers are sharing their own magical micro-habits, from calling the search for lost items a “treasure hunt” to saying “cheers” before taking a shot of mouthwash. Some make little shapes out of their moisturizers before rubbing them in, others sneak positive affirmations to their cars after road trips. It’s all about making life feel like an adventure. And judging by the over 40M posts on the topic “Things to Be More Whimsical,” Gen Z is obsessed with sharing both aesthetic choices and daily routines that make regular days feel more special.