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Perfection used to rule the internet, and mostly social media. When scrolling, you would come across people with flawless skin and curated outfits. Rooms that somehow looked like straight out of Pinterest. Dream vacations that you only saw in the movies. For a very long time, social media convinced people that the goal was to be perfect. And it looked like people bragging about their lives had it already figured out.

However, that seems to be in the past. End of perfect. Young people today are shifting from glamour to authenticity. They choose meaningful messages. The academic paper “The emergence of cause-oriented influencers – conceptualizing de-influencing on TikTok” (2025) defines “de-influencing” as a cause-driven approach to influencer marketing. According to the authors, de-influencing “promotes sustainability and personal well-being,” and “challenges overconsumption by encouraging mindful consumer choices.” Already more than 2 years ago, Vogue wrote about de-influencing as a “rapidly growing social media trend” encouraging people to “divest away from obtaining or upholding an excess of products that are not needed in our daily lives.”

Trend? More like a statement

De-influencing started as a TikTok trend, but it quickly became something bigger. Or at least looks like it. Instead of promoting the latest “must-have” product, creators began telling their followers why they didn’t need it. That €80 face cream? Overrated. The capsule wardrobe from fast fashion hauls? Not sustainable. The endless pressure to upgrade your life? Exhausting and unnecessary. For young Europeans living through a cost-of-living crisis, climate anxiety, and burnout culture, it hit differently. De-influencing wasn’t just about saving money. It was about having mental clarity and a safe space.

Europe’s youth have always had a strong sense of cultural identity. Influenced by history, social equality, and environmental responsibility. So when overconsumption became the default online, Gen Z responded in the most European way possible: with criticism, humour and honesty. Across Berlin, Barcelona, Kraków, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Sofia, young people are asking the same question:

“Why are we buying things that don’t make our lives better?”

The new flex? Being transparent and real

If the old measure of status was luxury, the new one is integrity. Young people across Europe (and not only) aren’t impressed by curated perfection or sponsored hype; they’re impressed by honesty. This generation isn’t anti-everything – they’re simply pro-truth. They want information that helps them live better. Transparency is no longer optional. It’s the currency of trust, the language of credibility, and maybe there is a lesson in politicians in that. Not just for brands and marketers.

Just like in the de-influencing trend, Gen Z isn’t anti-politics; they’re anti-bullshit. They want policies that actually work, leaders who actually listen, and communication that actually respects their intelligence. Authenticity is their voting compass. If a politician can’t pass the vibe check, they won’t pass the ballot box either.

Is Gen Z quitting on democracy?

In 2025, there is growing skepticism and some reports show that Gen Z questions democracy. A recent poll (2025) of young Europeans (16-26) by YouGov / TUI Foundation found that only 57% of respondents overall said democracy is the best form of government, the Guardian reported. That same report shows that 21% would favour authoritarian rule under certain, unspecified circumstances. Nearly one in 10 across the nations said they did not care whether their government was democratic or not, while another 14% did not know or did not answer.

Before you lose your marbles, announce the end of democracy as we know it and blame Gen Z, let me offer another interpretation of that data. Maybe young voters are just tired of institutions that don’t care about them. As a result, they don’t trust them and consider that democracy doesn’t feel like a guarantee of fairness or relevance anymore. Because they see it in their everyday lives. Prices are going up like crazy, corruption feels like a common phenomenon across countries, and buying a house feels like science fiction.

I would argue that young people still believe in the value of democracy, but many also feel that actual institutions fail to deliver, which pushes some toward apathy, cynicism, or even openness to authoritarian alternatives (especially if they believe such alternatives will “get things done”). Let’s face it – the propaganda machine of countries like Russia works very well.

What happens now?

From time to time, I remind miself of the words of the former EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker:

“We all know what to do, but we don’t know how to get re-elected once we have done it.”

I think we are seeing now that if politicians don’t do what they need to do, they are not going to get re-elected anyway. So, they’d better get to work. According to a 2025 study focusing on youth (18-26) across several major EU countries (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland), trust in institutions such as the European Commission (EC) is associated with socioeconomic status, education, and perceptions of institutional performance. In an older research article (from 2021), researchers found that when governments publish open data (transparent information about decisions and governance), this can increase trust among younger generations (Millennials + Gen Z).

I mean, what a shock – transparency drives citizen satisfaction, which in turn builds institutional trust. Who could have expected that?! When institutions feel responsive, transparent, and aligned with young people’s values (economic fairness, opportunity, transparency), there is a basis for trust among substantial numbers of Gen Z.

I think politicians will learn this lesson the easy way or the hard way. In the uncertain times we face ahead, I hope that governments across the continent don’t suffer the fate of old influencer trends and become obsolete in the eyes of young voters.

The end of perfect isn’t just a trend. It’s a turning point. Gen Z is redefining what real looks like, what influence means, and what deserves attention. You’re proving every day that honesty travels further than hype, and that the most powerful thing you can put online isn’t a flawless image. It’s the truth.

But this shift doesn’t stop at your feed.
It shapes what you buy.
Who you support.
What you vote for.
And the future you’re building.

Keep choosing transparency. Keep demanding honesty. Not just from influencers – but where it really matters: from the people forging the policies that shape your future.

 

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