The newest viral trend on TikTok is a war cry to “eat the rich.” But with Generation Z, the civil revolution looks a bit different.
As TikTok user Gina Bologna (@iamproudofus) explains in her video, her experience in marketing has her privy to the kind of cash that celebrities like “Kylie Jenner get [for] having the social media account followings that they have.” Thus, the eat the rich game begins.
“Unfollow them. Unfollow them all,” she advises. “I know you might love them, but do it. This is how we eat the rich. We make them feel just as important as we feel. Unfollow them. Stop looking at their content, even if it’s just for a few months. Do it. Watch it burn.”
“Eat the rich” isn’t a new phrase. In fact, it dates back to the 18th century and is attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a philosopher who had a prominent role in the French Revolution. The phrase generally refers to civil frustrations with wealth inequality and consequent socio-economic impacts, an issue that manifested itself in the modern-day, especially during the global pandemic.
I really like this trend where we eat the rich. Nothing has value till we give it value. Unfollow all the famous people with me 😍 yes all of them 😂 #smallbusinessonly #oof #easyforme
— Kayd Webb (@WebbKaydrian) February 2, 2021
It’s pretty safe to say that Gen Z/Millennial anxieties about wealth distribution are totally valid. Figures from 2020 show that the collective wealth of America’s 651 billionaires increased by upwards of $1 trillion during the pandemic, whereas the nation’s working-class took a brutal hit.
my friend and i started combing thru our socials last summer to unfollow pretty much anyone with a check mark. all of a sudden i actually had fun using social media and it wasn’t a triggering experience. highly reccomend doing this. https://t.co/fE2iAJUDPq
— Amani (@AmaniFromTexas) February 4, 2021
As reported by Dazed Magazine, “ten of the world’s richest people had received a $400 billion boost to their wealth since the coronavirus pandemic began, as others suffered from job losses and financial precarity.”
MY FRENCH TEACHER JUST ENCOURAGED US TO EAT THE RICH AND SAID TO UNFOLLOW PEOPLE WITH BIG PLATFORMS BYE- THIS IS WHY SHES ONE OF MY FAVS
— tpwkbitch (@coacoacstanacc) February 1, 2021
