#gen-alpha

Obviously there's a cult of personality thing happening right now but anytime the cult leader gives up the ghost, there's gonna be a power vacuum that doesn't get filled the same way. And then the country changes, be it broken up or stops existing.

Right now, this world would be completely unrecognizable to my baba and jeda (my jeda died I believe in 2001, and my baba 3 years prior) if they just came back to life right now. But with how tumultuous this is becoming, be prepared for things to be unrecognizable 10 years from now maximum.

When the gross bag of cheetohs finally expires, a power vacuum will occur, and nobody within his merry band of dipshits is gonna be able to adequately fill it. Whatever happens, their reign also won't last as long. But things are going to keep radically changing. Nothing will ever go back to any normal we've ever known; not 80s normal, not 90s normal, not the 00s or the 10s. There will be no going back as by this point, everybody on all sides will have already shown their true colors---who they really are.

This is not limited to just citizens. I'm talking people in any position of significant power that directly affects this country. And that's the thing here: there won't be a United States of America anymore. Once the cheetoh expires, there is going to be a countdown clock that nobody can read the numbers on. I've got this feeling like if the US is gonna stay in existence, it won't be all 50 states.

I don't know how this will all go down, I don't know if a new country or several develops, I don't know if some states will want to join other countries, I don't even know how this is going to look be it voluntary, civil war, or some sort of foreign invasion. But what I can tell you is to prepare... almost like it could be the end of the world, simply because we don't know how this country dissolving is going to even look like. (I'm not saying there's going to be an apocalypse. I'm saying look at how other countries used to exist, like Yugoslavia, and just prepare for maybe something like that.)

My big concern is climate change. We're already woefully far more unprepared than we were before this regime came to be. This country dissolving could also dissolve organizations or make funding unavailable for organizations that do things like keeping you up to date on the weather and sending out severe weather alerts. Infrastructure could even be jeopardized. Who knows what the mailing system might look like. Shit like that.

While it's a good idea to come up with an escape plan, it's also just as important to come up with a lockdown plan (I don't know what other term to use as I type this, sorry). I mean don't just prepare to escape. Prepare to also stay. Where you may escape to might not be the best option shortly after. This is going to completely depend on your situation.

I also have to emphasize this right now: START LEARNING ABOUT RADIOS. Granted, it costs a lot of money to have the equipment to become a ham radio operator, but at least get your hands on a decent shortwave radio and learn how to use it! Get CB radio! Learn all you can about radio! Aside from needing to power it (through electricity or batteries), it doesn't require any infrastructure! Radio tech doesn't give a fuck about country borders. AND GET YOURSELF A WEATHER RADIO RIGHT NOW because cell phone alerts aren't always reliable if you lack signal/service and/or internet! Midland is a reliable brand, and I have one that helped me big time when the derecho hit us back in May. (They send out a tornado warning, because derechos are about as powerful as an EF2 or EF3 tornado.)

Oh, and whatever you use your phone for that you can use the real version of (such as a flashlight), start getting into the habit of that. If something happens to your phone, there goes your flashlight, your period tracker, your cash, your photos, an address book, a radio, a map (or several), reference guides to plants and wildlife, etc. You all ought to start acting like cellphones won't or never existed because all of our modern tech from the big brands are designed to malfunction at a certain point so you have to buy the newest and latest one. Plus cell towers might malfunction or something (or even be sabotaged if this country splits into more than one), so it's best to have a backup.

Yes, I'm essentially telling you to get into some prepper stuff. But you can do it without seeming like some tinfoil hat wearing r*ght-w*nger. Each time you think shit can't get any worse or crazier, it does.

This feeling that the US won't be the US anymore on a map soon will not leave me alone. I hope that whoever reads this takes my words seriously just in case it does. The requests I'm making for people to do aren't too unrealistic for most. Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha likely know some Millennials, Xennials, and Gen-X'ers that could help them out with the old tech/no tech concept. Embrace analog tech! It could be very useful soon!

"Uh, I don't know, it just- he looks like Santa.exe"

55% of Gen Alpha Wants to Buy What Their Favorite YouTube, Instagram Influencers Wear

More than half (55%) of children between the ages of six and 16 want to buy a product if their favorite YouTube or Instagram influencer uses or wears it, according to a new report on Generation Alpha from Wunderman Thompson Commerce provided to Marketing Dive. The agency surveyed more than 4,000 kids in the age group in the U.S. and U.K. earlier this summer.

While social media plays a large role in guiding Gen Alpha's habits, the findings revealed that peers remain the most influential factor over purchasing decisions for kids. 28% of those surveyed want to purchase something their friends have, versus 25% who said social media stars are the top influencers on shopping decisions. However, the report additionally showed that 14% of respondents are interested in the idea of influencers launching their own retail outlets.

57% of Gen Alpha said that they want to buy things they see in ads on Instagram. Videos were the most effective format to push messaging on the app, with 24% of kids saying they were compelled to buy from Instagram videos versus 19% who said they'd be interested in buying products through other posts.

Insight Wunderman Thompson Commerce's latest report provides hints at how the influencer space might change as the Gen Alpha age group grows its purchasing power and, in turn, starts to guide marketing strategies in the same way that older peers like Gen Z and millennials have done before it.

The study reinforces the idea that influencers could move beyond being mere partners with outside companies to instead focus on stewarding their own brands and businesses, potentially by opening standalone retail operations in a shift that could signal both good and bad news for legacy players.

"While some brands and retailers are already making the most of the strong connection between influencers and consumers, it will be crucial for businesses to watch the evolution of the influencer trend," Neil Stewart, global CEO of Wunderman Thompson Commerce, said in a statement. "If younger consumers' wishes are granted and influencers become retailers themselves, this will only mean more competition for existing brands and retailers."

Influencers extending their brands through personal product lines has gained traction in recent years, but not always resulted in successes. Kylie Cosmetics, the beauty line founded by reality-TV star Kylie Jenner, has become a serious contender in the category, largely without sinking a ton of money into paid social advertisements – a sign that the recognizability of Jenner's name is enough to get consumers interested.

On the other hand, Arii, a social media influencer with more than 2.5 million Instagram followers, shuttered a personal clothing line less than two weeks after its debut earlier this year due to abysmal sales, as reported in Adweek. The contrast highlights the fickle nature of the influencer sphere and how broad reach online doesn't always translate into concrete actions from followers.

Still, brands ranging from Papa John's to Suave have been capitalizing on the popularity of influencer marketing, and the channel is expected to command $15 billion in spend by 2022. Interestingly, Gen Alpha tend to favor Amazon, one of the most-recognized and well-like brands among the demographic, according to Wunderman Thompson Commerce. Amazon earlier this week unveiled influencer storefronts that let online celebrities from apps like Instagram and YouTube curate a selection of products available to purchase on its e-commerce platform. [...]