The uncertainty and anxiety created by the events of 2020 have left many people seeking ways to ease their minds and find a sense of serenity. Canvas8 spoke to Dr. Katharina Husemann, a senior lecturer in marketing at Royal Holloway, about consumer spirituality as a coping mechanism.

In the pandemic, many people have turned to spirituality in search of a reassuring belief to hold on to. For the Gen Zers who are increasingly embracing alternative faiths, this often means worshipping alone, rather than in a community, which is exacerbating their existing loneliness.

Goblincore is a fashion and lifestyle trend that rejects the idyllic and embraces the dark, unkempt, and shabby symbols of the natural world. Beyond the love of fungi and skulls, adherents feel the tenets of goblincore free them from conventional expectations of beauty, gender, and sexuality.

Having emerged from Tumblr and established a presence on TikTok, the cottagecore subculture has seen young Americans go online to post pastoral aesthetics and participate in activities that are more common in rural areas. But what exactly is driving Gen Z’s interest in quaint lifestyles?