FYPod Episode 4: Gen Z Girl Gang vs Doomer Dudes
Release Date: March 11, 2025
Introduction
In the fourth episode of FYPod, hosted by Tim Miller and Cameron Kasky from The Bulwark, the conversation delves deep into the political and social dynamics of Generation Z. Titled "Gen Z Girl Gang vs Doomer Dudes," the episode features an insightful interview with Deja Fox, the founder of Gen Z Girl Gang, alongside engaging discussions about the contrasting behaviors and political leanings within Gen Z.
Interview with Deja Fox
Background and Activism Beginnings
The episode opens with Cam introducing Deja Fox, an organizer from Arizona and the brains behind Gen Z Girl Gang. Deja shares her compelling life story, highlighting her early activism sparked by personal experiences with hidden homelessness.
[02:40] Deja Fox: "Politics was never something I learned in a classroom or through the news. My politics was deeply personal."
At age 15, Deja began organizing for better sex education in Arizona after facing hidden homelessness, a reality for 1 in 30 teens in the U.S. Her activism escalated during the first Trump administration, where she fought against the defunding of Planned Parenthood, emphasizing the direct impact of political decisions on her life.
Educational Journey and Professional Ventures
Deja's activism earned her a full scholarship to Columbia University, where she studied media and worked for Kamala Harris during her first presidential run as an influencer and surrogate strategist. Her educational background and professional experiences have been pivotal in shaping Gen Z Girl Gang’s mission.
[06:41] Deja Fox: "I was in the center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race and I made my own concentration in media, which meant that I got to think a lot about, in an academic sense, our media environment and specifically the role that teen girls play on social media."
Founding Gen Z Girl Gang
Gen Z Girl Gang originated from Deja’s realization of the need for a supportive community beyond her immediate surroundings, especially after transitioning from grassroots organizing in Arizona to the urban environment of Columbia. The collective aims to "redefine the practice of sisterhood in digital spaces," fostering resilient and supportive relationships among young women online.
[07:27] Deja Fox: "Gen Z Girl Gang was born out of this idea that teen girls are building new ways of being in relationship to each other by the very nature of being the first generation to come of age online."
Resilience and Community Building
Deja recounts a personal experience of cybermobbing during the pandemic, emphasizing how digital friendships within Gen Z Girl Gang provided crucial support. This underscores the group's role in building professional and personal well-being amidst hostile online environments.
[10:15] Deja Fox: "She is to this day one of my best friends. We spend lots of time in real life together now, but because it highlights exactly how young women are creating these relationships that build resiliency for them to show up not just in their real lives, but also in the public discourse online."
Addressing Gender and Inclusivity
The conversation shifts to the terminology used by Gen Z Girl Gang, such as "whimson" and "femmes," aiming to create an inclusive space for all marginalized genders while explicitly centering the experiences of non-men.
[32:04] Tim: "This is how you describe yourself. Founding in 2019 in NYC, Gen Z Girl Gang centers Gen Z, Wimson and Femmes as leaders and content creators."
[32:49] Tim: "I never wrote Wimksen. And I still don't know what a femmes is. Is that okay?"
Deja clarifies that "femmes" acknowledges a spectrum beyond the traditional gender binary, fostering a safe environment for diverse gender identities.
Lessons from Arizona and Connecting Advocacy to Daily Life
Deja emphasizes the importance of linking political advocacy to everyday concerns of young people, such as the cost of living and financial stability. By framing issues like reproductive rights within the context of attaining a "good life," Gen Z Girl Gang makes advocacy more relatable and impactful.
[36:26] Deja Fox: "For them, their number one worry and their number one aspiration is to live a good life."
Contrasting Behaviors: Gen Z Girls vs. Boys
Impact of Social Media Algorithms
Deja elaborates on how algorithms on platforms like YouTube and TikTok inadvertently steer young boys toward far-right content, contrasting with how Gen Z girls utilize these platforms for community building and activism.
[18:56] Deja Fox: "These Boys are being tracked into algorithms by companies that profit off of them into far right beliefs."
Gender-Based Socialization and Empathy
The hosts discuss inherent social behaviors, noting that girls tend to be more empathetic and community-oriented, possibly driven by early socialization, while boys exhibit more contrarian and aggressive tendencies.
[26:29] Tim: "There's something about boys that like make them want to be contrarian."
Deja counters by highlighting how Gen Z girls are subversively using digital spaces to foster meaningful connections and resist divisive online environments.
[28:22] Deja Fox: "Teen girls are being subversive as shit by using these profit-making platforms to turn them into community building platforms."
Boomer Mailbag
In the Boomer Mailbag segment, a 73-year-old listener, Carrie, shares her frustration with a Gen Z individual's perceived rudeness—specifically someone sitting on their phone and delaying her access to her car.
[43:27] Cam: "So are all you. So I. I don't. I rebuke that Gen Z ification of assholes sitting on their phones and not caring about people."
The hosts respond by challenging generational stereotypes, suggesting that such behaviors aren't exclusive to Gen Z and highlighting broader issues like map illiteracy.
[44:32] Cam: "Maybe he just really needed to figure out where he was."
Gen Z News: Migration Trends
The hosts examine a survey from Storage Cafe ranking U.S. states based on net migration of Gen Z individuals.
Top States Receiving Gen Z Migrants:
- South Carolina – [47:06] Deja Fox: "So we all. Deja explains that net migration might be due to affordable housing and job opportunities."
- Arizona
- North Carolina
- Washington D.C.
- Florida
Deja discusses factors influencing these trends, such as affordable housing in South Carolina and reproductive rights protections in states like Arizona, impacting where Gen Z chooses to relocate.
[47:22] Deja Fox: "People will leave New York eventually because they cannot buy a home... People will leave Texas when they decide they want to have a kid because they can't get adequate care there."
Final Thoughts and Conclusions
The episode concludes with Tim and Cam reflecting on the insights shared by Deja Fox. They emphasize the need for progressive organizations and political parties to recruit authentic Gen Z leaders who can effectively communicate and resonate with younger audiences.
[53:51] Cam: "I think that my main takeaway is that the Democrats would be wise right now, March of 2025, to start recruiting people like Deja, who can talk and who sound normal and who can be mad and authentically mad and who can fight and who aren't cringe just in their very essence."
Deja Fox's participation underscores the importance of creating inclusive, supportive digital communities that empower Gen Z to engage meaningfully in political and social discourse.
Key Takeaways
- Gen Z Girl Gang serves as a digital collective fostering sisterhood and resilience among young women.
- Social media algorithms significantly influence the political leanings of Gen Z, with boys being more susceptible to far-right content.
- Empathy and community-building are central to Gen Z girls' online interactions, contrasting with the more contrarian behaviors observed in Gen Z boys.
- Migration trends indicate Gen Z's preference for states offering affordable living and protective reproductive rights.
- Intergenerational understanding is crucial to bridging gaps and addressing stereotypes between Boomers and Gen Z.
Notable Quotes:
- Deja Fox [02:40]: "Politics was never something I learned in a classroom or through the news. My politics was deeply personal."
- Deja Fox [18:56]: "These Boys are being tracked into algorithms by companies that profit off of them into far right beliefs."
- Cam [26:29]: "There's something about boys that like make them want to be contrarian."
- Deja Fox [28:22]: "Teen girls are being subversive as shit by using these profit-making platforms to turn them into community building platforms."
- Tim [53:51]: "We need new people to come in who can speak Internet and be normal."
This episode of FYPod offers a comprehensive exploration of the nuanced behaviors and political trajectories within Generation Z, highlighting the pivotal role of digital communities in shaping their collective identity and activism.