Humans crave simplicity in all that we do, especially how we communicate. We have an obsession with giving things labels or names and then creating a shorthand for those labels or names. Over time, phrases have been simplified to acronyms, and our words have been simplified into abbreviations.
A recent social media trend, #needthat, has shown justhow simple Generation Z has made social interactions. This begs the question: Have Gen Z and social media ended up flirting?
Over the past several weeks #needthat has been has been flooding comments, DMs, and retweets. The phrase is the newest trend in flirting via social media. It is an oversimplified version of a compliment, meant to spark conversation which will eventually lead to a relationship (or, more commonly, a failed talking stage).
In years past, when you find someone attractive and want to pursue them, you would compliment them, start a conversation, and get to know them. In typical progressive human fashion, Gen Z has simplified this series of interactions to a simple phrase: #needthat. This demonstrates how it is relatively easy to grab someone's attention nowadays, whereas previous generations seemed to value specific compliments and pick-up lines.
To most people, the trend is a cute and simple way to kickstart a conversation. After all, words only have the meanings that a culture gives them. Therefore, if Gen Z communities are accepting that when used online, #needthat is a compliment, then it is just that. However, the way that we get to that conclusion and other definitions are also worth investigating.
If not understood properly, #needthat could be seen as rude because of how those two words are normally used. Saying that you "need" someone could come off as arrogant and entitled while referring to them as "that" strips a person of their humanity. When taken out of context, the phrase is objectifying and even has sexual undertones. Worst of all, many of us agree that we aren't even sure how to respond.
Even deeper, #needthat says a lot about the state of society. It is a phenomenon that could only exist on social media in this time and space. After years of the "sassy men apocalypse, alpha male podcasts, and simps," it is only natural that courting (like its older cousin chivalry) is dying. After all, why would men shoot their shot when they are operating in fear of being sent to the infamous group chat?
On the other hand, Generation Z's online interactions highlight positive aspects of how we have changed society. #Needthat is gender neutral and does not have to be sent from a man to a woman. This is perfect since social media has created a playing field where women can easily make the first move. It also means that #needthat can be used within LGBTQIA+ spaces where traditional gender roles are not even possible.
The largest takeaway from the emergence of #needthat is this: the way we communicate is always changing. Thanks to social media, trends come and go at a rapid pace. One thing that isn't going anywhere is our desire to flirt with one another, even if it takes a nontraditional form.
