OBSESSION: Riches & Romance or Cheap Things

 

In leaked internal meeting, Amazon retail chief says sales of cheaper items are surging

Gen Z is obsessed with manifesting their way to riches and romance 

Story by ahoover@insider.com (Amanda Hoover)

Sarah Perl, who goes by the TikTok handle @hothighpriestess, says she has a successful career and relationship because she manifested both. Many of her recent posts focus on manifesting love, and they're particularly aimed at young women who want romantic relationships with men. The 23-year-old Los Angeles resident talks to her viewers about how they can manifest a text back from a guy within 24 hours. Sometimes she even manifests the aim of her videos: "I am manifesting that this video only reaches the people that are on the brink of the greatest up level of their entire life," she says in one post that has more than a million views.

She's not just saying that to the universe; she's feeding the TikTok algorithm, which likely sends her content to other young women. To her, manifestation and the code powering TikTok are inextricably entwined. "Obviously the algorithm is going to work its magic," says Perl, who has amassed 2.5 million followers since 2020 and also offers paid online courses on manifesting. "I view manifesting almost like the For You page: Where you put your attention is where your life will end up going." If people dwell on negative content, that's what they'll be fed. But if they like videos with a positive outlook, TikTok may give them more.

Perl is one of many influencers who specialize in manifestation: the idea that positive thinking and visualization can bring people closer to their goals. Manifestation began in the 19th-century New Thought movement, and does have a kernel of truth to it: our thoughts can in part shape our reality. The latest trend has gained traction since the height of the pandemic, but modern manifesting remains a broad term covering a range of practices. It can cover meditating and journaling as part of a spiritual practice as well as posting memes about achieving great fortune. Pop stars Dua Lipa and Ariana Grande have professed their beliefs in the power of manifesting.

Online, the trend is owned predominantly by Gen Z women. They use social media and self-help apps and even artificial intelligence to manifest romance, financial stability, career success, and cozy homes. . .

AOL.com

a day ago