Top News

In South Korea, a new online label is stirring debate across social media. Gen Z users have coined the term “Young 40s” to mock middle-aged millennials who embrace streetwear, smartphones, and trends traditionally linked with younger generations. What began as light satire has evolved into a broader conversation about age, privilege, and identity in a rapidly changing society.

The phrase has gained traction through viral memes and AI-generated images. These often depict men in their forties dressed in trendy sneakers, oversized hoodies, and designer accessories, usually holding an iPhone. Online, the caricature represents someone seen as trying too hard to appear youthful. For many men in this age group, however, the label feels unfair and dismissive.

Ji Seung-ryeol, a 41-year-old fashion enthusiast, says he never imagined his style choices would attract criticism. Like many in his generation, he shares outfit photos online and enjoys brands he admired for years but could not afford when younger. Now, he says, these same items are being used to single out people his age for ridicule.

The shift in perception intensified after the release of Apple’s iPhone 17 in late 2025. Once considered a symbol of youth culture in South Korea, the iPhone has increasingly been associated with older consumers. Recent market research shows Apple’s popularity dipped among Gen Z buyers while rising sharply among people in their forties, reinforcing the stereotype behind the “Young 40s” label.

This phenomenon echoes earlier generational mockery, such as the term “Geriatric Millennials,” which was used to poke fun at older millennials for their humour, emojis, and online habits. In South Korea, such generational teasing carries extra weight due to the country’s deeply rooted age-based social hierarchy, where seniority influences language, workplace behaviour, and social etiquette.

Younger Koreans increasingly question this rigid respect culture. In recent years, the slang term kkondae became popular to describe elders seen as outdated or overly authoritative. Sociologists say social media has intensified these tensions by placing different generations in the same digital spaces, where tastes and behaviours are constantly compared and judged.

Originally, “Young 40” was a neutral marketing term. It described tech-savvy, health-conscious consumers in their forties who maintained youthful lifestyles. As South Korea’s population aged, this group became central to the economy rather than on its margins. Over time, however, the term took on a sarcastic tone online, with data analysts noting a sharp rise in negative usage over the past year.

Some younger Koreans see the mockery as “punching up.” They view people in their forties as beneficiaries of a more stable economic era, one marked by affordable housing and stronger job prospects. In contrast, today’s young adults face soaring property prices and fierce competition in the labour market. As a result, “Young 40s” have become symbols of opportunity that younger generations feel they missed.

Yet many in this age group reject that narrative. Ji recalls growing up during the Asian financial crisis and struggling through an unforgiving job market. For him and many peers, financial comfort came late, not early. Fashion, travel, and self-expression were luxuries postponed until adulthood.

Now, caught between strict senior colleagues and outspoken younger workers, many in their forties describe themselves as a “sandwich generation.” Once proud of their ability to bridge generational divides, some now feel pressured to limit social interactions at work to avoid being labelled outdated or out of touch.

We welcome your contributions! Submit your blogs, opinion pieces, press releases, news story pitches, and news features to opinion@minutemirror.com.pk and minutemirrormail@gmail.com