The Rise of Slay Queens

Why materialism is common among millennials.

Is your wife/girlfriend demanding more than they actually need?

If you happen to have a decent conversation with the average African male about women, relationships and money, 8/10 of these men will confirm to the fact that women have become overly materialistic. Some say women nowadays demand way more than their mothers did in the 80’s.

Materialism is a phenomenon that has been existent long before now and most people in the 80’s can concord to this fact. However, with the creation of the internet and social media, the impact of materialism has been re-enforced between continents and viewed as a social norm.

Society has applauded those who showoff their possessions; such people are generally more famous, talked about, followed and loved throughout their social networks. They are the trend setters and followers of the 21st century.

Materialism is often attributed to “slay queens” and vice versa, the later can be considered the word of the year as it has been used widely this year and from all indication, it is going no where soon.

Materialism: A way of thinking that gives too much importance to material possessions rather than to spiritual or intellectual things.

Merriam Webster

Slay Queens: Girls who do not have a wealthy background but appear as if they do. They use malicious acts to attain cash, drink expensive alcohol, procure expensive cellphones. But back at home she’s a chicken chaser.

Urban Dictionary

The current trend of slay queens and materialism has been the talk of the day on the lips of social media users in particular and the the entire public as a whole. It is believed that these ladies are Hype Beasts as they drive the trends in fashion, lifestyle etc. They can do any and everything for money and other material possessions.

A Hype Beast is a someone that collects clothing, shoes, and accessories for the sole purpose of impressing others. Although the individual may not have a dime to their name they like to front like they are making far more then everybody else.

Have you ever wondered why out of a sudden millennials have gotten attached to this concept of “slay queen”? Many young ladies out-there aspire to be a “slay queen” and get all the attention it brings by all cost.

Below are a few reasons why most girls dive into Slay Queen-ism

1- Discontentment with ones self

Most people who pose as slay queens are generally dissatisfied with themselves. They believe acquiring many material possessions will get them the internal satisfaction which they crave.

We look to external things to try to alleviate our inner discontent. Materialism certainly can give us a kind of happiness — the temporary thrill of buying something new, and the ego-inflating thrill of owning it afterwards. And we use this kind of happiness to try to override — or compensate for — the fundamental unhappiness inside us.

“Substantial evidence shows that people who place a relatively high priority on materialistic values/goals consume more products and incur more debt, have lower-quality interpersonal relationships, act in more ecologically destructive ways, have adverse work and educational motivation, and report lower personal and physical well-being.” (Kasser, 2016)

2- Desire to fit in

Have you ever felt left out? I bet you can tell it’s a terrible feeling and if not well controlled, it might lead to depression. Slay queens follow the trends in order to feel accepted, loved and valued by others in the circle (most often their peers who possess the same mannerisms).

The need for acceptance is a basic human instinct — although some value it more than others. We all want to fit in, to belong. In order to achieve that, we often present slightly different versions of who we are, depending on the environment and whose company we are in. We might have numerous ‘editions’ of ourselves — for work, or at home, or even online.

3- Greed among millennials

Greed according to Merriam Webster is a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money) than is needed. Most people overcomed by greed will go to different lengths to achieve their desires (fame, money, social recognition, online followers etc). Stories have been told of slay queens caught stealing and doing other despicable things just to satisfy their greed.

While greed may be good for economies, it may not be so good for individuals. A person who is consumed by greed becomes utterly fixated on the object of his greed. Life in all its richness and complexity is reduced to little more than a quest to accumulate and hoard as much as possible of whatever it is that he/she craves. Even though he/she has met his every reasonable need and more, he/she is unable to adapt and reformulate their drives and desires.

4- Societal Encouragement of materialism

We see it every day and everywhere, from our homes to churches, schools, job sites etc; the rich are always gratified while the poor ignored and treated like lesser beings. This is one common phenomenon in our society. It is one of the reasons why most “slay queens” try to keep up with trends and “ act like they are rich and influential”.

Well dressed and luxuriously looking people are generally treated better than those looking humble in appearance.

Since these girls desire this special treatment and love to be regarded in high esteem, they tend to portray an image far from who they really are and showoff possessions which they don’t have.

5- Commercial conditioning from influencers

Celebrities, influencers, adverts etc. affect people’s habits, preferences, and actions more than they can comprehend. The aim of trends and adverts is to condition targets to believe that a certain product gives them more prestige, value or general social acceptance which they normally won’t have.

This concept can be seen clearly with the Iphones; more social reverence is given to those who possess it as compared to other phone marks. The hype and social conditioning of this products causes most people to unconsciously desire and go for them. This is one of the reason why most girls indulge in malicious activities to possess them and join the famous trend.

That’s a little glance at why most women become slay queens (materialist); NB: this concept does not apply solely to women as men “slay kings” also exist and possess similar characteristics as their female counterparts.

What else do you believe is the cause of “the rise of slay queens” in today’s society? Please do share your thoughts in the comment section Below.

THANKS FOR READING! ^*^