What will be the new, defining subculture of the 2020's? Will there be one?

Each decade is strongly associated with– or even defined by– a certain subculture. 

The 60's had hippies, the 70's had punks, the 80's had goths, the 90's had skaters, the 2000's had emos and scene kids, the 2010's had hipsters. Even the 1920s had flappers, who I recently learned have a lot in common with the young people of today. 

These subcultures are a lot less popular now, but by no means are they dead– I see a lot of young people calling themselves emo, punk, goth, and more– myself included, sometimes. 

Interestingly, I see a lot of posts on these subcultures' subreddits/other social media spaces asking, "How can I be goth?" or "Am I scene enough?" This intrigues me. People who are new seem to feel like they aren't truly a part of these subcultures somehow. In the past, being called a punk or an emo was often an insult. Sure, they're still used as insults by a few dickheads, but to the newbies, these subcultures are almost like secret clubs that only the real goths/emos/whatevers get to be a part of. 

Why do many of us feel so isolated from people in our subcultures, despite having seemingly infinite access through social media? What will be the defining subculture of the 2020's, if any? To answer these two questions, let's take a look at the common themes that span across many subcultures.

Here are those common themes:

1. DIY + second-hand clothing
2. Subculture-based spaces (e.g. zines, goth clubs, social media*)
3. Subculture-based hobbies (e.g. music, art, fashion) 
4. Anti-capitalist, anti-war beliefs
5. "WE LIVE IN A SOCIETYYYYYYY!!!"

The "alt" of today could become the defining subculture of the 2020's– it has potential, at least. I know a lot of alternative people who definitely check themes 3, 4 and 5. However, there are two huge differences between many of the alt kids of today and the defining subcultures of the past. 

• Less emphasis on DIY, and a lot of fast-fashion. Shein chokers, Temu boots... a lot of people choose the instant gratification of cheap online shopping. Many don't know they can DIY their own stuff, or don't believe they can develop those skills. Perhaps some just don't know how screwed up the fast fashion system is, and they're simply excited that they can get cool stuff at such a cheap price. Yes, there are a lot of people who DIY, myself included – but I have a feeling there are a lot less than in the past. Plus, with the constant advertising, it's hard to resist the temptation to buy, buy, buy. 
• There are no subculture-based spaces other than social media. Sure, there's the occasional concert, and maybe you're lucky enough to have a goth club or something similar in your city. A lot of us just... don't. No clubs, no free hangouts, no meetups, no nothing. 
  

Another contender for a defining subculture of the 2020's could be the "reject modernity, embrace tradition" crew. People who are actively resisting modern social media/algorithms/etc - they're replacing their smartphones with "dumbphones", buying less overall, mending their clothes (I'm very tempted to join them). They often have minimalist beliefs– buy only what you'll use for many years to come. Many haven't heard much about these people, though, because part of their whole schtick is being off social media. Can't post about being off social media... on social media. And again, where can they form a subculture-based space other than social media? 

That's through no fault of their own, either. Spaces like that have been slowly dwindling for decades now. We see so many individuals, but so little community. 

For this reason, maybe the question is not what the defining subculture could be. There are a plethora of possibilities. What we should be asking is, will there be a "defining" subculture at all? 

*With the rise of social media algorithms deciding what we see depending on what we like, we can be exposed on command to thousands, millions of people just like us. Think, "the [blank] side of TikTok". Those social media spaces are forming their own pseudo-subcultures, only without the key elements required to turn them into full-fledged subcultures. They're communities without community. Groups of individuals, physically separated. 

So, these social media pseudo-subcultures have appeared, giving all sorts of people a sense of community, which is great. Despite the questionable/awful parts of social media, the sense of community is one of the best, most fulfilling parts. However, we are still facing a massive loss of accessible subculture-based spaces– physical ones, where you're greeted face-to-face with people like you. Where you can do activities together, exchange gifts, fucking hug each other. 

One of my experiences:

Before I started attending an art school for my bachelor degree, I never had friends who shared my music taste/hobbies/interest in DIY. I was deathly anxious around other people, and with such a strict school uniform, I couldn't wear band t-shirts or bracelets to tell people what I liked without having to talk.

The closest thing I've had to a subculture-based space was when I finally got to see MCR live back in 2023– that was a fucking life-changer! I had never been surrounded by so many people who were so similar to me. I wonder, if there were more places like that (accessible ones that didn't cost $200 AUD to go to), how would it affect the way subcultures operate in the modern world? 

Without places like that, will we ever have strongly-defined subcultures again?

In conclusion:

There are so many possibilities for the subcultures that could define the 2020's. The only problem is, where do they go? How can a group of individuals become a community of people when they don't have a space to meet each other face-to-face? 

Social media is one of the only subculture-based spaces left, in modern cities and suburbs that form a sea of shops. Perhaps there's a place or two known for punk shows, or a cool vintage shop the youths flock to when there's a sale on. What else is there? Most crucially: is there anywhere other than social media that is free? 

~

On a positive note:

It may not seem like it from my wording, but I'm very optimistic about the future of subcultures. I mean, the lack of community, the hyper-capitalist system constantly advertising for us to buy more stuff, the war and plague? It's the perfect breeding ground for political unrest and disenchantment. What do people do when they're angry and disenchanted with society? They create subcultures! Hippies were birthed from war, punks from political unrest, grunge from the decadence and maximalism of the previous decade... and so on. Subcultures thrive in disorder.

At the very least, perhaps 2020 will be the decade there was no defining subculture, then in 2030, people will rebel. I'm curious to see how the concept of subcultures will evolve over the coming years. 

SIDENOTE: This was longer than I thought. Maybe I'll make this into a YouTube video. 

If you read this whole thing, congrats! Please-please-please give me your thoughts. I'm so interested in subcultures at the moment and I'd love to hear other people's opinions :D