Why has “Manifesting” Skyrocketed in popularity since 2018 among Gen Zs and millenials?
It was around 2018 when the word “manifesting” began to skyrocket in popularity among Gen Zs and millennials, particularly on the TikTok app. However, 2018 was not the first time that “manifesting” was introduced as a concept of “making something happen through the mind” and made popular through different forms of media.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines the verb “manifest” as “to make something happen by imagining it and consciously thinking that it will happen.” However, the English word “manifest” has several other simpler meanings, such as “to show something clearly through signs or actions,” and as an adjective that means “easily noticed or obvious.” It can also be seen historically, as detailed by Etymonline.com, that the earlier usage of the word “manifest” in the earlier centuries was not for the now-popular definition of “to make something happen by imagining it and consciously thinking that it will happen.” This particular definition of “manifesting” is more recent.
In 2006, the best-selling self-help book “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne re-introduces the concept of the law of attraction and manifestation — the power of the mind to make something happen in different aspects of one’s life. In a 3-step process, the book says that one can achieve one’s desires in life — ask, believe, and receive.
Twelve years later, the same concept, but with the particular term “manifest” or “manifesting” or “manifestation,” skyrocketed to popularity among Gen Zs and millennials.
But why has the concept become popular suddenly? Was it only because of the TikTok app which can easily make something or justa about anything instantly popular? Or are there other reasons?
Aside from the apparent availability of online platforms and connectivity that allow millions and billions of people in the world to communicate, share, search, connect, and reach, thus skyrocketing the popularity of certain concepts or topics, the ManifestMagazine.com believes in another possible reasons that made the concept popular among Gen Zs and millennials, which are discussed in the succeeding paragraphs.
Reason 1: Gen Zs and millennials are aware of what they want better now — thanks to accessibility to information and connectivity
Considering that according to books, articles, coaches, thought-leaders, etc., the first step in manifesting is “to be clear with what one wants or desires,” the popularity of manifesting mainly has to do with Gen Zs and millennials now “knowing what they want.”
In contrast to the past, when people were less connected and when there was no internet yet, it might be somewhat challenging then to figure out what one wanted in life — and this is because the options or information are not available or accessible.
For example, in the past, when students went to college, they didn’t exactly know what course they wanted to take. When they finished college or school and wanted to work, they didn’t know what work they wanted to do. They didn’t know what they wanted because they were young, inexperienced, and didn’t know their options. They didn’t have access to information and connection that would have given them an overview of what life could be like in certain aspects as one grows up. They just rode with life and saw things and figured out things as they went on.
On the other hand, now, with the internet and connectivity, Gen Zs and millennials figure out what they want in life by observing, asking questions, researching, and by being exposed online with options.
Reason 2: Goals and dreams are more achievable now — thanks to availability of resources in the modern times
Another reason why “manifesting” has become popular, according to the belief of ManifestMagazine.com, is because achieving these desires, dreams, and goals has become closer to the “possible” because of the modern times that are equipping people with accessible resources to make a lot of these dreams and goals possible.
To cite an example — starting a business was harder in the past because one might need more capital to lease out a space. However, in the modern times now, it is possible to start and grow a business even without having a physical space in a commercial area. It is now possible to do businesses at home while leveraging the internet to serve customers.
As per the thoughts of ManifestMagazine.com, these are the two main reasons why the concept of “manifesting” or “manifestation” skyrocketed in popularity in 2018 among Gen Zs and millennials–aside from the internet’s capability of popularizing the concept; it is also because the internet has made it possible for these people to know their desires, goals, and dreams since they could see or access information online; also, it is because the internet has also made it possible for people’s dreams to be attainable because of resources being made available now compared to in the past.
