Gen Z Shake and Millennial Pause

You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it.

I’m Grant Barrett.

And I’m Martha Barnette.

Hey, guys.

Today, I’m talking to you in the so-called lifestyle influencer accent. I’m using rising tones, which make it sound like something’s always coming next.

Now, this so-called accent is not so much from a place as from a platform. That is, platforms like TikTok and YouTube. Because if you watch certain online videos, you’re going to hear that kind of speech. And there are reasons for it.

Those rising tones perk up your curiosity as you’re waiting for the next statement. So you keep on listening. And, of course, that’s what online influencers want. And it makes sense, right, Grant?

I mean, this is a way of holding the floor. Yeah, there are a lot of ways that we hold the floor. When we speak, we can drag out a word. We can toss in a lot of just so we’re making a sound and somebody else can’t speak. But this one is pretty interesting.

The influencer speak has got something. Yeah. I mean, it’s a tool. It’s something that online influencers cultivate for a purpose. And that’s keeping eyeballs on the video that they’re trying to popularize.

Another example of that is the so-called Gen Z shake. And the Gen Z shake is in contrast to what’s called the millennial pause, because millennials have been somewhat notorious for starting their videos by sort of making sure that everything is working. You know, they look at the camera and they’re hoping that it’s working right.

But Gen Z influencers start with their phone in their hands, and it’s kind of shaking at the beginning. And that catches your eye. And it also gives a sort of faux authenticity. It gives the viewers the feeling, oh, this person grabbed their phone mid-thought. They’re not overthinking this. They have something they need to share immediately. And so you keep watching because of this little shake at the beginning of a video.

I just, I find that fascinating. Oh, there’s so much more to talk about here. We didn’t even get into the Gen Z stare, but I guess that’s not social media. And the way they like to hold tiny microphones in their hands as a way to focus your vision not only on their eyes, but on their hands.

I hadn’t thought about that, but yeah, those little bitty microphones with the puff. We’ll talk more about the language used by influencers and on social media later in the show. And in the meantime, we’re taking your calls. 877-929-9673 is toll free in the United States and Canada. You can also text that number or email words@waywordradio.org.