A Dim-Witnessed Adult’s Guide to Kid Culture: Why Do Kids Wear Quarter-Zip Shirts?
Something strange is happening this week: more and more young people are showing signs of maturity.
Perhaps it’s because our country’s financial and political leaders are abdicating maturity, but Generation Z embraces business casual as a cultural identifier and uses an online pickup line that feels like something out of the 1950s. Even this brain-decaying generation is considering abandoning meaninglessness and the six-seven-on-one approach in favor of relatable memes.
What is a quarter zip and what does wearing one mean?
A quarter-zip is exactly what it sounds like: a sweater with a zipper that extends a quarter of the way up the chest. This style of clothing is becoming increasingly popular among young men, especially black men. Wearing a quarter-zip isn’t exactly “dressy,” but it’s more refined than sporty lazer-style clothing. More importantly, a quarter-zip often symbolizes status and a certain intention. Like flannel shirts in previous generations, a quarter-zip signifies in-group membership, a “quarter-zip man,” and even affiliation with the “quarter-zip movement.”
The trend started earlier this month with this video from TikToker Jason Giampha :
“We’re not doing Nike tech and coffee anymore,” says Giamfi, “we’re just doing matcha and short-sleeved sunglasses.” (Matcha is a type of Japanese green tea and a hallmark of ” performance men .”) Another part of the “big sleeves” movement is chunky black sunglasses, which I personally support because chunky black frames are the only sunglasses that matter.
My white ass isn’t culturally equipped to discuss what “quarter-zip” means in the context of the Black experience ( search the hashtag if you want to learn about it), but I find it fascinating from the perspective of a younger generation stepping into adulthood. It’s not a great time to be embracing the concept of “adulthood,” with the most powerful people on the planet constantly trading barbs and engaging in fiery social media spats, so I see “quarter-zip” as a small counterweight, as if young people are saying, “Want to give up adulthood? We’ll handle it.”
How “Can I meet you?” is becoming Generation Z’s go-to phrase when meeting someone.
Speaking of an unexpected return to maturity, Generation Z is using an unexpectedly formal greeting as a romantic opening.
For that, we have Bill Ackman to thank. This unlikely dating influencer isn’t some spoiled weirdo like Andrew Tate; he’s a 59-year-old married hedge fund manager known for his philanthropy and his billion-dollar fortune from long-shot bets. Ackman summed up his investing strategy this way: “Make a bold move no one else will believe,” and that’s exactly what he did in a recent tweet aimed at young men across the country caught in the middle of a male loneliness epidemic:
“I hear from many young men that they have a hard time meeting girls in public places. In other words, online culture has destroyed the ability to spontaneously approach strangers. So, I decided to share a few words I used in my youth to approach someone I found attractive. I’d ask, ‘Can I introduce myself?’ before continuing the conversation.”
The tweet has been viewed over 38 million times. It was initially met with skepticism: the tweets went something like this:
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and memes like this:
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But this phrase is really gaining popularity. People use it on dating apps , sometimes ironically, sometimes not, but always with the subtext: “I get the hint, so I’m online enough for you.” It serves as both a general joke and a surprisingly straightforward expression of interest. Its politeness also implies, “I’m not going to make this complicated.”
It’s unclear whether young people pick up on the subtext of Ackman’s advice (e.g., “Just be a normal person—a couple of billion dollars won’t hurt”), but the phrase has certainly taken hold in online courtship.
The Great Generation Alpha Meme Reset
Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but I can even see maturity creeping into the collective unconscious of Generation Alpha.
As a longtime decipherer of youth culture, I’ve watched as the primary form of self-expression for Gen Z and A—internet memes—has morphed from easily understood jokes and observations into messages so in-jokes-heavy that they’re only understandable to those constantly online, and then into dumb memes that no one understands, not even their creators, because they literally mean nothing. However, TikTokers are proposing a “Great Meme Reset” in 2026 and promising a return to comprehensibility.
The idea for a reboot was first proposed (ironically, of course) in this video, posted during the supposed “meme drought” in March.
The idea that memes are dead is a hot topic online, and videos like this one provide a glimpse into what the great meme-killing might look like and confirm the date it’s coming:
But what comes next is harder to imagine. The authors essentially propose “a return to a time when memes meant something,” and typically refer to 2016 as a “golden age.” As TikToker NoahGlennCarter put it in this video:
“We’ll go back to the original. Things like Nanny, Ugandan Knuckles, and the Dancing Banana will return as memes…”
I support the idea of restoring the integrity of memes, but I’m sure you see the problem here too: Nyan Cat, Ugandan Knuckles, and company meant nothing in 2016 to anyone who wasn’t fully online. A reboot is only possible if people have a common cultural reference point, and that’s hard to find.
Another problem: conscious attempts to organize cultural expression essentially never work. A revival cannot be brought about by force of will; it cannot be simply forced into existence.
Viral Video of the Week: Improperly Cooked Meat
I usually link to viral videos that are funny and/or cool, but this week we’re looking at a different viral subgenre: disgusting food processing videos.
TikToker @sergiogarcia9100 was apparently just chilling on a rooftop (like you) when he saw this scene of a restaurant worker’s less-than-hygienic handling of frozen ribs:
The video garnered over five million views online in its first three days. The original poster provided no details about the location, other than to say it was “near San Jose.” But internet detectives are masters of their craft , and despite the apparent lack of identifying information in the video, a Reddit geogasseur identified the restaurant as PhoLove in Milpitas, California. The county health department was notified, and the restaurant temporarily closed until the health violations were addressed. All of this should remind us that the internet is terrifyingly good for forensic work, and if you have to handle meat carelessly, keep an eye out for rooftop video snipers.