Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X & Boomers Have Completely Different Ideas Of What Makes Someone Popular
PeopleImages / Shutterstock The definition of popular depends entirely on who you ask. Technically, there's no wrong answer.
Some people just have that "it factor" that gets them noticed and makes them the person that everyone wants to know. From being liked by everyone to appearing effortlessly cool, one generation might see things a lot differently than another.
Each generation has its own definition of what it means to be popular:
Boomers define popularity based on how many people you actually know.
Boomers' idea of what makes someone popular is pretty straightforward. It's all about how many people actually know you. Being the person everyone recognizes at school, work, around the neighborhood, or even at the local hangout carries a lot of weight. Having relationships with those around you is what actually matters.
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It's practically a given that popular people have strong social skills. They are the ones who have a wide circle of friends and know how to make conversation. Being well-liked matters, but so does having a certain presence.
Status is also a factor in popularity. Having a respected job and looking put together can make someone socially magnetic. For many boomers, being popular is mostly about being established and connected to others in the community.
Popularity for Gen X means being naturally cool.
This generation has a slightly more understated definition of popular. Cool people are those who are comfortable in their own skin. Not caring about whether anyone likes you actually seems to make people like you more, according to Gen X.
A lot of popularity is built around having the right mix of personality, confidence, humor, and independence. Everyone wants to hang out with the person who can make everyone laugh and seems to always have something interesting going on.
To Gen X, there's something appealing about being effortlessly cool rather than obviously trying to impress people.
Millennials see popularity as being connected online and in real life.
Many millennials reached adulthood right as popularity started moving to the internet. Suddenly, it wasn't just about being the person everyone wanted to hang out with. You also had to choose the right profile picture or post something noteworthy to be noticed.
Social media made popularity visible through followers and likes, and those who get the most are often labeled as cool, even if it's all just a facade.
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Members of this generation also helped create a new version of popularity that's based on personality and personal branding. Being stylish and well-traveled also plays a big role in boosting social status. Unlike earlier generations, millennials had to figure out how to be interesting digitally and IRL.
Gen Z tends to make the most authentic people popular
Trying too hard to be cool is the fast track to being uncool. On the other hand, letting out your weird side is what earns you serious social points. There's a lot of appreciation for people who march to the beat of their own drum rather than doing what everyone else is doing.
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And then there's the internet, where popularity can happen at insane speeds. Someone can go from being completely unknown to having millions of people watching them practically overnight.
But even those with a massive following can still be considered uncool. Gen Z thinks that popularity isn't about being universally liked. They view it as being memorable enough that people can't stop talking about you.
Kayla Asbach is a writer with a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
