Why Gen Z Wants To Be Famous

The Rise of Influencer Culture

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

That question used to be quickly answered with “astronaut”, “pro athlete”, “doctor” or “firefighter”. But nowadays the answer is none of the above. The goal of the next generation is to become famous on Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok.

Everyone wants to have the platform. The social media following. The blog. The podcast. Everyone wants to be on the stage and no one wants to be the person sitting up chairs in the back.

Less than a decade ago, many people didn’t even know what an “influencer” was, and anyone over the age of 50 quickly dismissed it saying, “get a real job”. But when the six-figure salaries and lavish lifestyles started coming out people took notice. There is money to be made and consumers to be influenced.

Recently, study after study have come out that shows younger generations are even more obsessed with fame and fortune than previous generations. Content creators, vloggers, influencers…whatever you want to call them, young people want to be them.

“Gen A” Wanted the Same Thing
This isn’t just a Gen Z issue, it’s a human heart issue.

When we go back thousands of years ago, we see this same desire in the hearts of Jesus’ disciples. “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left” Mark 10:37. Translation…”Jesus, can you make us popular, powerful, and influential?”

While the other disciples weren’t around, James and John sneakily tried to strike up a deal with Jesus. They think Jesus is about to be crowned king and they jockey for position, trying to secure higher seats next to the throne. They didn’t want to get left behind, they wanted a piece of the pie. We could look down on them and call that selfish, but aren’t we guilty of the same thing?

Social media has given each of us a voice and a platform. Anybody can start an account, create a page, or launch a channel…all quickly, easily, and most importantly for free. And now the road to stardom is rapidly being mapped out and paved for you. “How to grow your platform”, “5 tips to get more followers”, even if we’re not building our own brand, I doubt any of us wouldn’t enjoy the money and fame that comes with it.

And the trap is so alluring because we have equated fame with being loved.

We tell ourselves it’s the money, the lifestyle, and all the free products, but subconsciously our heart’s desire is deeper. We crave the adoration. The acceptance. The affirmation that people want to hear our opinions. That followers out there want to see us. They must love us so much. We become obsessed with sharing what we think about everything.

That’s why Jesus’ response is so profound. It’s the total opposite of how we think. How the world tells us to think. Jesus knows the human heart better than anyone else, so he redirects our desires. He doesn’t chastise his disciples or punish them for asking such a thing, he uses it as a pivotal moment to teach them a life-altering lesson.

Jesus’ Response
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45

I’m sure you could hear a pin drop after these words. Jesus drops the mic with this one. Whoever wants to become great, must be your servant. Like a loving older brother, Jesus is giving them, not what they wanted to hear, but the wisdom they needed. And it cuts straight to the heart. They all wanted to be great…and we do to.

So, how do we learn to be servants?

Believe The Bible Is True
We all think Jesus is a great guy and agree his teachings sound nice, but the question becomes, do we really believe him? When Jesus tells us that by serving others, we are actually making investments in Heaven that we well get to enjoy forever and ever and ever (Matthew 6:19-21), do we really think that’s true? Are we really living with eternity in mind?

A lot of us are living in such a way that makes it seem like we don’t actually believe in eternity. Thanks Jesus, but what we’d really want is fame, and accolades, and accreditation here and now! And Jesus just smiles and lovingly says, “Serving here is storing up treasures in Heaven. Billions and billions and billions of years is a lot longer than the 70 or 80 we will have here.”

It’s the lesson that we can’t seem to learn.

What Do We Do?
You’re in your twenties and you want to have influence. You have passion. You want to change the world. And sometimes it feels like you’re being told to sit around, pay your dues, and wait til it’s your turn. I get it, that’s frustrating.

But that passion and desire to have influence is a great thing…just channel it towards eternity. Our leader, Jesus, has not only told us what to do, he also set the ultimate example; “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Love and serve where you are. God has placed you in a specific job, in a specific family, in a specific city. Start there. Be faithful in the little things. Often God ranks the small and big things of life totally opposite than the way we do.

The Goal: Be Faithful
Put the crosshairs of success on faithfulness. It’s not, “Be faithful now, so I can get to the reward.” Faithfulness is the reward. Make your daily prayer, “God how can I be faithful with what you have for me today?” Do the right thing whether it’s going to benefit you or not.

Remember, we’re not paying dues to earn something. We’re not trying to climb the corporate ladder. That is a worldly mentality. And that proverbial carrot that you are chasing is bitter. Money, fame, influence, etc. You’re going to get it someday and it’s going to be bitter. You won’t like it. You might object, “Yeah but look at the guy in the mansion with the Mercedes Benz, it sure looks like he got the carrot”. Yeah but look past that stuff, look in the windows, look at the fights, the divorces, the kids that don’t know their father, the loneliness, the emptiness.

God is not holding out on you, He is a loving father who is warning you. He doesn’t want you to waste your life. He wants you to have eternal life. He wants you to grow in faithfulness.

From TikTok to Insta, social media and the digital age is driving Gen Z's quest for fame. But as Jesus said, “Not so with you”. So use your twenties as a training ground. Develop godly character, humility, and an eternal mindset. Be faithful now, so you can be faithful in your 30’s, and in your 40’s, and in your 50’s, and the rest of your life. Use your desire to influence to tell the watching world about the good news of Jesus. Store up treasures in Heaven.

Evan Wehrle

Young Adults Pastor