It’s hot to give a fuck!
There is nothing cool about not caring
I have always been “chalant” and I will proudly always be “chalant."
In a society hellbent on downplaying excitement so that we don’t look cringe, isolation and social disconnection reign. We pretend we’re not hurt so that we don’t seem dramatic. We act like we’re indifferent to things that actually mean the world to us.
For what? To seem unbothered? To protect ourselves?
A quick TL;DR for those who aren’t familiar: 'nonchalant' describes a relaxed, effortlessly unconcerned attitude, and it’s recently taken over the internet, inspiring Gen Z in particular to embrace a kind of nonchalant lifestyle.
Of course, this disconnection is massively amplified by an increased use of personal tech gadgets such as phones, tablets and computers, and in the age of social media, it’s easier than ever to cancel, ghost or disappear.
This trend reads as a result of constant bombardment by information in the digital age. Every single one of us is overloaded with new headlines, unanswered emails and the pressure to post every day. Nonchalantism is the new generation’s defence mechanism.
Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck gained popularity in recent years and is an absolute eyesore. In his book, Manson offers repetitive life advice under the guise of 2010s ironic epic bro humour, encouraging people to detach themselves emotionally to get ahead in life and find "peace."
The result? A whole wave of apathetic and disengaged finance bros with the emotional maturity of a peanut.
Not to say that being nonchalant is never warranted, but it’s been taken to the extreme thanks to social media. We have leaned too far into not caring. According to the internet, the optimal way to present now is to be detached and “chill,” whatever that means.
Ugly, bitter and raw feelings deserve to be felt, and no one, especially impressionable youth online, should feel pressured to maintain an air of nonchalance at all times. That’s absolutely ridiculous. To be nonchalant is to deprive yourself of all the beautiful ups and downs of a life lived to the fullest.
Emotions deserve to be felt, no matter the calibre.
Sometimes you have to show up when you’re not at your best, or even the opposite; maybe you just got the happiest news of your life, and you're bursting at the seams with joy. Those feelings should not be bottled inside; we all deserve to share ourselves authentically with the world.
Yet, we have collectively agreed to make effort our enemy without realizing that human connection is about give and take. We need each other. And that requires being open and vulnerable, not hiding your emotions away so you look “cool.”
So, is there hope for Gen Z?
There is another idea floating around the internet lately that needs to be amplified, a reminder to a generation risking an isolated existence: community is built through inconvenience. Real connection is created through mutual effort and sacrifice, in other words, when we do things we may not want to do to support those we love.
As one Reddit user shares, “Building community means doing things that aren’t always easy, such as driving through annoying traffic and taking the time to give your friend a ride to the airport or helping people move. It’s saying that friendship/community is built off of knowing you can lean on your friends in times of need and they can lean on you.”
In our capitalistic society, those things definitely do feel inconvenient after work and countless personal responsibilities, but being nonchalant is the antithesis of this powerful message.
Will you engage in the radical act of simply giving a fuck?
This article originally appeared in Volume 46, Issue 6, published November 18, 2025.
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