Marx for Millennials: A Beginner’s Guide to Class Consciousness
Karl Marx might seem like an old, dusty figure to many millennials, but his ideas are having a major renaissance among a generation grappling with student debt, skyrocketing rents, and avocado toast scandals. In fact, Marx’s concept of class consciousness feels tailor-made for the modern era.
Class consciousness is Marx’s term for when people realize their place in the economic system. In simpler terms: if you’ve ever cursed your boss for taking all the credit or questioned why billionaires exist while you can’t afford dental care, congratulations—you’re halfway there.
Millennials are waking up to these ideas faster than previous generations, thanks in part to social media. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram serve as modern-day pamphlets, spreading Marxist critiques in bite-sized, meme-ready formats. A tweet that says, “Work-life balance is a scam—capitalism wants you tired and quiet,” is basically The Communist Manifesto for the TL;DR crowd.
Even pop culture is playing a role. Shows like Squid Game and movies like Parasite highlight systemic inequality, sparking discussions about wealth and exploitation. For millennials, these aren’t abstract problems—they’re lived experiences. Wage stagnation, housing crises, and the gig economy all feel like they were pulled directly from a Marxist textbook.
The result? A generation increasingly critical of capitalism and open to alternatives. While Marx himself might not have predicted avocado toast as a symbol of generational struggle, he’d likely nod approvingly at millennials’ growing awareness of economic injustice. After all, the first step to revolution is realizing you’re not alone.
