Plain English with Derek Thompson Plain English BEST OF: How Gen Z Sees the World
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Dec 23, 2025 
Kyla Scanlon, a keen financial commentator and writer focused on Gen Z, offers insights into how this generation views the world. She breaks down Gen Z into three cohorts shaped by technology and the pandemic. The conversation dives into concepts like FAFOnomics, which embraces high-risk investing amidst uncertainty, and how attention economics fuels trends like meme stocks. They also explore institutional distrust, new work norms prioritizing outcomes over hours, and the impact of these factors on mental health and dating trends among young people.
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Fafonomics: Chaos As A Financial Strategy
- 'Fafonomics' describes a strategy of chaos: try risky, attention-driven bets because traditional paths feel unreliable.
- Young people use meme coins, meme stocks, and gambling to capture returns from attention rather than fundamentals.
Attention Is The New Underlying Asset
- Attention is convertible to value; meme assets rise because communities and visibility drive price, not fundamentals.
- Gen Z recognizes attention economy mechanics and exploits them despite the risks.
Metrics Over Craft In Gen Z Work Culture
- MrBeast's memo exemplifies an outcome-driven Gen Z work ethic focused on retention metrics over artistic values.
- This reflects a broader shift: work judged by measurable outcomes, not hours or traditional craft.