It’s me, Meaninglessness. I’m the Problem, It’s me.

With article headlines being churned out on a daily basis concerning Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, it appears American youth have entered their own unique era. But unlike the pop icon’s music tributes, the problematic era of Millennial and Gen Z “swifties” is one of embracing superficiality and meaninglessness. Or is that not right? Taylor Swift’s greatest hits, and at times entire albums, demonstrate the power of attraction to superficial musical themes such as: ex-boyfriends, glamorizing melancholy, and generic love stories. Since beginning her 17-year old music career, Taylor Swift has capitalized on building her brand on being the matriarch of some of the most uncreative lyrical themes in the industry. With such a dominant household name, this leads to conferring a legitimacy on things that lack greater artistic and intrinsic value. The ripples of this effect leads to an increasingly homogenous and non-individualistic generation among Millennials and Gen Z audiences. I want to be clear; this article is not a hit piece on Taylor Swift, rather on superficiality and its tightening gripe on audiences such as hers. It will also seek to demonstrate how despite its antagonistic reputation, gatekeeping can be the remedy for works such as hers, meaningless trends, and schools of thought, and how it embodies beneficial uses that are often overlooked for fear of perpetuating..well, gatekeeping.

Among all the icons that occupy the pedestals in the music industry, Taylor Swift best personifies what it means to capitalize, and embody itself, superficiality. Let’s first start with her style of singing. Much of the artist’s greatest hits compose of trendy, soundbite-centric rhythm. After all, what style works best as you hype yourself up on your morning commute, or worthy of AUX-blasting roadtrips with friends? I would be dishonest if I didn’t confess that I myself have a handful of her songs, and enjoy passing the time listening to them on occasion. But, what I yearn for most are lyrics and songs that move me and speak to deeper experiences. You’ll have to forgive me if listening to a song based on Taylor’s most recent ex-boyfriend fails to fulfill that yearning. With her style of singing and her content choice, its ripple effect may perpetuate a harming stereotype surrounding white women. This may be a harsh take, and one I do not subscribe to, but this stereotype can be summed up in three words you’ve probably conceptualized or heard of before: superficial white girl. The “superficial white girl” stereotype is a concept that predetermines many young white women as frivolous, superficial, and often not worthy of being taken seriously. Whether that be in the workplace, academia, or social atmospheres. It takes no degree of mental rigor to see the long-term harms holding sincere belief in this stereotype can have. Because just what consideration should your race and gender have in your worthiness of being taken seriously? In a truly unprejudiced world, none. However my concern with such mass embracement of “artistry” such as Taylor Swifts, is that it provides the justification for those who genuinely believe in this stereotype to keep enduring.

In contrast, let’s examine another female icon who shares the music industry limelight with Taylor Swift: Adele. Since her album 21, like Taylor, Adele has risen to the height of fame and has obtained a household brand during her ascension. But unlike her younger counterpart, Adele’s album themes center on dissecting the transformative burden (and blessing) of motherhood, personal and professional identity in a world whose young audiences reward triviality, and the sacrifices of privacy in a world of stardom. Her style of singing equally awakens thought-provoking and empathetic moods in her audiences worldwide. She engages with her audience through music that is not about her most recent ex-boyfriend or glamorizes pseudo-depression, but in sharing the experiences of some of her most personal, transformative life experiences. Even as you read this now, when you may consider it a hit piece on your most beloved pop icon, could you sincerely, truthfully deem these two artists the same?

But as I said, this is not a hit piece. And it’s not about Taylor Swift. Our generations (Millennials and Gen Z) are too often attracted to meaninglessness like a moth to a flame. Another prime example of this troubling phenomena takes roots in TikTok. Since its inception in September 2016, TikTok has risen as the predominant social media platform. While it is not so in terms of bare numerics, it is certainly the case when discussing engagement among our generation as Millennials and Gen Z. TikTok has become particularly known for serving as a breeding ground for viral trends. One of these trends that left me feeling as if humanity is doomed was a generic “boat jumping” challenge that was reported on recently. The idea is simple: film yourself jumping off the back of a high-speed boat in a lake or river. Sadly for a local county, this would be the last TikTok challenge four young people would get to participate in. The impact of their bodies making contact with the water at the speeds their boat was traveling killed them…all in the name of a TikTok challenge. Do not mistake me, my heart goes out to these young people’s families and friends. What it doesn’t ache for, however, is the idiocy that is bred like rabbits on the app that inspired their deaths. This trend is just one of far too many that swell the algorithms of TikTok’s billion+ users worldwide. Even more at large, these stunt videos stem from a groupthink that has congealed the minds of its users. The endless cycle of downward thumb swipes and meaningless content has resulted in two young generations, who enjoy a greater access to the world than any prior, share a common mind. Now, characteristics such as individualism and uniqueness need not apply. As TikTok’s algorithm appears to reserve wide-reaching exposure to only the most generic and simplistic (and meaninglessness) viral videos.

With the decline in individual and nuanced thinking occurring in our young generations, swarths of people have congealed mentalities. This only serves to prolong the lack of self-thought and critical thinking in Millennial and Gen Z audiences. You needn’t think too hard to see the negative affect of this merging of mentalities. Chief of among them is that we have grown hostile to encountering opposite points of view, even on topics that are personal, which are often formed by our own individual perspectives. Within the sociocultural realm, one subject in particular that highlights this is the existing tension between feminism and the transgender rights movement. If you’re a Liberal, we almost have a script that you must abide by in order to avoid discontent mumblings and death glares. That script being the default recitation of sound bites like “Transwomen are women” and exercising the misguided belief that to hold any debate, even ones prompted by good-faith or by those who are eager to narrow a knowledge deficit, equates to blatant transphobia. For those like myself, although the standard is misguided, it’s easy to get by as I personally hold the belief that transwomen are women. However, for those of a less privileged educational and socially-diverse background than myself, their attempts of inquiry are often equated to blatant displays of transphobia. That the act of gaining clarity or seeking good-faith debate mustn’t be entertained to any extent. The meaninglessness that is shown by practicing this “moral code” that you must reject anyone whose ideals fail to perfectly align with your own is tragic. This rise of anti-intellectualism among those who purport themselves “Progressive” is yet another avatar of the superficiality that has griped the minds of young generations. In their minds, I suppose it’s an easier task to settle on the surface where everyone agrees, and refuse to dive deeper into broader, more nuanced thought.

I mentioned gatekeeping earlier, and I want to highlight some of its most often overlooked benefits. First and foremost (and likely the most controversial): somethings are naturally better…and that’s okay. It’s not a perspective to be threatened by, if you take the time to sit with the idea and mull it over. You probably have practiced some form of gatekeeping concerning a subject more than you acknowledge. Whether that be musical artists, sports, or even which restaurants have the superior happy hour. Unlike much of the consensus concerning the practice, gatekeeping is not about exclusion. It’s about encouraging the adoption of higher standards, in whatever areas of life feel right to you. Whether it’s the opinion that lyricists such as Adele tower above those such as Taylor Swift, or if Vanilla’s flavor requires a greater subtlety of palate to appreciate. There is nothing wrong with having standards. Like many things, they can often be subjective. But the most under-appreciated aspects of gatekeeping is its encouragement for growth and aspiration. By categorizing things into tiers, whether they be musical artists or the rigors of particular sports, encouragement of acquiring a taste for “finer things” doesn’t have to invoke negative connotations. And in an era where meaninglessness is holding our young generation’s attention hostage, the time has never been more opportune to raise the bar.