Now that millennials and Gen Zers are all grown-up homeowners, more and more of them are choosing minimalism, as opposed to the cluttered homes they grew up with in the 1990s and early 2000s, packed with stuff they didn’t even know they had.
A young woman has recently gone viral on TikTok after sharing a glimpse of her minimalist home, and the reason why she loves it so much. In a video shared in January, under the username @notlikemymother, the poster answers the question: “Why are you so obsessed with minimalism?” She can initially be seen appreciating her new minimalist living room, featuring only a wooden table surrounded by plain black chairs, and a small flower vase to complete the look.
In the second half of the clip, she gets into the reason why she is “obsessed” with this simple aesthetic, mentioning her “childhood home.” She shows the state of her former room, featuring multiple cluttered drawers, full of things like old makeup, papers, and even a couple of old, half-empty toothpaste tubs.
A simple home may not just be a matter of preference but also one of convenience. Research shared by Pew Research Center shows that youngsters of today are having a harder time economically than their parents ever did.
More than 72 percent of young people find it harder to save money for the future than older generations did; 71 percent find it harder to pay for college; and about 70 percent to save for a home. Moreover, 39 percent of young adults find it more difficult to get a job nowadays, and over 46 percent to find a spouse or partner.
The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received over 23.2 million views and more than 2.4 million likes on the platform.
One user, Abaca, commented: “A house is not a home without a junk drawer. Just one though not 20.”
Dtay153 wrote: “I love being able to wipe a flat surface without having to remove 35 Precious Moments figurines.”
And hillandgrace added: “I absolutely LOVE a clean, minimalist home! Too much stuff drives me crazy!”
Newsweek reached out to @notlikemymother for comment via TikTok chat. We could not verify the details of the case.
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Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.