Zodiac Signs and Gen Z

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In today’s sociopolitical climate, divisions between people are becoming increasingly common. However, there seems to be one less controversial method of categorizing ourselves — zodiac signs. Why has this “pseudoscience” become so incredibly intriguing for younger generations? And does someone being a Scorpio, Leo, or Cancer have anything to do with the way they act, or their deepest, darkest emotions?

Astrology, or the belief that stars and planets have an impact on the behavior and personality of people, has gained quite the following through one of the main facets of the digital age: social media. Instagram pages dedicated to information about zodiac signs, like what planets in your “birth chart,” or the map of the position of the planets at the exact time, day and place you were born, mean about your love life, or apps telling you when Mercury is in retrograde and memes about when your Libra best friend just can’t stop being indecisive have become incredibly popular. Are they in any way accurate? Oklahoma high school junior Zella Beers thinks so. “I follow quite a few [astrology meme pages] on Instagram and think they’re hilarious. As much as I would like to say I don’t actually believe in [astrology] it’s too accurate for me not to.”

So why is this study of the stars and our personality so captivating to younger people? Orem High senior Avrie Hill thinks people enjoy hearing about themselves and “the idea that the cosmos affect who you are as a person is really intriguing.” As for the belief in the cosmos, Orem High senior Abby Buttars has this to say: “I feel like as the number of non-religious people increase, the interest in zodiac signs also increases.” One research organization found the percentage of atheists that are Gen Z is double that of all other generations. Perhaps this is one reason why astrology, a subject that used to be delegated to trashy tabloids is now becoming ever more commonplace to reference in everyday life, especially with younger and younger generations.

Orem High senior Abby Buttars thinks that one of the reasons astrology is so widely discussed is because “zodiac sign descriptions are purposefully vague.” Orem High senior Avrie Hill also thinks “[astrology] is a pseudoscience.” But even to those who don’t believe in it, astrology is still captivating. “[Astrology] has put feelings into words I couldn’t before.” says high school junior Zella Beers.

Pseudoscience or not, astrology shows the power of social media and the digital world’s influence. As more and more young people lead trends and social movements through this digital platform, such as March For Our Lives and Fridays For Future, the recent takeoff of astrology may have come from the perfect storm of Gen Z savvy and the desire for a refreshing belief system in the modern era.