Productivity Princesses: A New Tribe Published By Flamingo
- georgiamlellis
- May 1, 2018
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 2, 2020
Previously the domain of middle-aged professionals, there’s now a growing tribe of young women for whom life is centred on productivity.
These Productivity Princesses document their practices on YouTube; one of the most popular creators is UnJaded Jade, whose content focuses on after-school routines and ‘study with me’ videos, with her most viewed video -- ‘my 5 am school morning routine’ -- gaining 1.2 million views. Other popular content creators include Ruby Granger and muchellb. What unites their output is not only productivity but also a focus on learning and a wholesome aesthetic. This is often viewed as a backlash against the hyper-glamour of Instagram and its influencers.
The popularity of this movement is based around the elevation of everyday, even mundane activities. Nothing is more mundane than receiving advice on list writing, but tell that to the 80,000 people who’ve watched muchelb’s ‘6 lists to make to organise your life video.
This also demonstrates that groups within Gen Z are embracing a slow approach to productivity. While they’re increasingly interested in productivity software, they’re also drawn to principles like Wu Wei, the Taoist principle of ‘non-doing’ which focusing on working when energised and turning off when tired.
One of the drivers underpinning this movement is the increasingly unstable economy. With the spectre of AI hanging over their heads, this generation keen to do everything they can to win in the career market. As a result, they have a strong work ethic and in this increasingly unpredictable world, they crave control.
What does this mean for brands and business? Firstly, as Productivity Princesses have traditional values, they’re attracted to heritage and high street brands. They value IRL materials and activities but don’t reject technology altogether, rather their focus is on using tech ‘intentionally’. They would rather pick up a bullet journal to organise their life than an app.
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