The Boom of Zoom Towns
“The experiences, the cost, the culture, and the opportunities that traveling entails for people are why Gen Z and Millennials are packing up their bags and leaving their hometowns.”
Almost three years into the pandemic, the world has experienced many changes in a rapid number. Social media has given people the ability to see what will eventually become historical moments happening in real time. We get the insider scoop from people that are a part of these experiences, their points of view, the aftermaths, and the advice they give to others that can help them navigate and take on specific experiences. People dedicate their entire social media niches to these experiences. One of the most notable changes we’ve seen is the high number of people moving across the country and internationally.
The pandemic introduced many people across the world to WFH (Work From Home). The average job in almost any field can be done from the comfort of our homes while still taking care of our responsibilities, making time for loved ones, etc. A luxury many people desired but seemed unattainable for ordinary people finally came to fruition. The best part about WFH was that more people were able to travel. You don’t have to call off work for your trips; you can accommodate your trips around the times you have to work. The experiences, the cost, the culture, and the opportunities that traveling entails for people are the reasons why Gen Z and Millennials are packing up their bags and leaving their hometowns.
“Nobody is new to the longing to leave their hometown to achieve goals that are either very hard or just not possible where they currently live.”
However, nobody is new to the longing to leave their hometown to achieve goals that are either very hard or just not possible where they currently live. People used to run off to New York City to make their dreams come true. Pop culture made New York City a desirable place to live and follow your dreams. But there are so many people leaving New York City, just like the people that are moving to New York City. I also live in the third largest city in the United States, Chicago, Illinois. The reason why people leave or come to this city is completely different from why a person might leave or go to New York City or Los Angeles.
We experience harsh, cold winters, very hot summers, and unpredictable spring or autumn. We also experience corrupt politicians and police forces, expensive parking, and inner-city violence. It’s the most segregated city in this country. You can see the inequalities and lack of resources depending on what neighborhood you're in based on the racial demographics. These are the very things that cause people to leave the city of Chicago. What draws people here is that it’s an open playing field for creatives, entrepreneurs, lawyers, doctors, techies, etc.
“There’s a community here for everyone.”
Being from Chicago, I still encourage my social media peers to come here to follow their dreams. There's a community here for everyone, but it's often overlooked because of how the city is viewed through the media. However, following your dreams or even doing what makes you happy comes with a cost. A cost that I see, being a Chicago native, is gentrification. When we talk about gentrification, we usually mean that white people are moving into our neighborhoods and pushing out black and other minority groups by raising rents, buying property and making it inaccessible to the people who live there, and so on.
It’s something the pandemic and social media have brought to light. If you're moving to a different state or country, you’re contributing to a huge issue even though it’s not your intention. That impacts natives of these places. But that's what rapid change does. This new great migration isn’t like the ones before, this new migration is a form of opportunity and also escapism and romanticizing.
“Gen Z is the generation that are freelancers, new traders in the stock/crypto market, creatives, entrepreneurs.”
We all want to experience the good things in life; different cultures, weather, following our dreams, etc. The pandemic and social media have made that easy to do because we get perspectives on what to expect and how to do it. Also, Gen Z is the generation that are freelancers, new traders in the stock/crypto market, creatives, entrepreneurs, or leaning more towards work from home gigs. They aren’t restrained by their jobs. Gen Z simply craves experiencing life and living it, not existing in it and complacent in this limiting "American Dream". The pandemic exposed the ugly truths, the flaws in how the world used to work.
Everyone is looking for and wants different things in life. But how we achieve these things is no longer the linear ‘go to school and get a job’ timeline. It’s wherever or whatever our hearts guide us to do. Some people feel they are called to move to a certain place. Some people feel their lives will change for the better if they move to a certain place, which creates booming migration to towns and cities that offer more flexibility to pursue our personal goals.
The Takeaway
As the pandemic introduced many people across the world to WFH (Work From Home), Gen Z is leaving their hometown to achieve goals that are either very hard or just not possible where they currently live. Their new zipcode is wherever or whatever their hearts guide them to do. Creatives especially are moving to smaller towns with less competition, creating booming migration to towns and cities that offer more flexibility to pursue our personal goals.
