generationlike

Generationlike is a term used in media and cultural analysis to describe a generation whose social identities are shaped by digital platforms, where the act of liking and other engagement metrics function as forms of social currency. The phrase gained particular prominence with the 2014 Frontline documentary Generation Like, which examines how teenagers cultivate online personas and monetize attention through social networks such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. The film highlights practices like self-branding, audience engagement, and the monetization of online attention by brands and platforms, illustrating how data from everyday online activity can be analyzed and exploited for marketing purposes.

In usage, generationlike is often invoked to discuss the pressures and opportunities created by participatory culture: how likes, followers, and comments influence self-image, friendships, and consumer behavior; how privacy and data collection intersect with adolescence; and how algorithms curate feeds that shape perception and choice. The concept is descriptive rather than a fixed sociological category, and its exact boundaries vary across writers. Some critics caution that the term can overgeneralize diverse experiences across different socioeconomic contexts or age groups.

Related topics include the attention economy, digital identity, influencer culture, and data privacy. While generationlike originated in journalistic and documentary contexts, it serves as a shorthand for examining the social and commercial forces at work in a highly networked adolescence.