History repeats itself

The term yuppie was coined in the 1980s and was used as a derogatory title for young businessmen who were considered arrogant, undeservedly wealthy and obnoxious. Today we have influencers. An influencer is someone in a niche or industry with influence over a target group. Influencers have specialized knowledge, authority or insight on a specific topic.

However, the biggest influencers only showcase their own luxurious lifestyles on various platforms and have a large part of their income through advertising links. Sometimes to products they sold their name to. Many times they are perceived as the yuppie as arrogant, undeservedly wealthy and obnoxious.

Due to the absence of cell phones and social media, the yuppies' only option to show off their lifestyle and stand out from the crowd was to be extravagant. Hence the eye-catching luxury cars, clothes, watches and more. One difference is that the yuppie was usually a man, while the influencer is usually a woman.

Is the influencer an evolution of the 80s yuppie?