What the monarchy tells us about the generation divide
There is nothing positive or democratic in young people’s cynicism towards the royals.
Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II was announced last week, people have left flowers outside royal palaces, gathered together in acts of remembrance and joined queues to file past her coffin. While there have been a handful of protesters, the mood has generally been sombre and respectful.
And then there is TikTok. Content on the video-sharing platform beloved by those in their teens and early twenties is altogether less reverential. Photoshopped memes of the queen dancing sit alongside videos of young people feigning horror at discovering that schools will not be closing for the mourning period. There is much speculation about what will happen when Her Majesty meets Princess Diana in heaven. And in between all of this, there are more pointed videos of people acting upset at news of the queen’s death and then suddenly switching to laughter when they find out ‘what she had done’. Nods to ‘in Africa’ provide clues to the sins being alleged.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with finding humour in an occasion like this. But it is still worth noting how stark the generational differences have been in response to the queen’s death. Generally, older people are engaging in public displays of respect, while younger people peddle memes and other grievances online.