What is counterculture? If we take the term literally, it is a culture that sits outside the dominant culture and either pushes against it directly or defiantly chooses an alternative way of being.
Counterculture was best seen in groups like the hippies of the 60s, the punks of the 70s and 80s, and the scene kids of the 2000s. Hippies vs. the establishment, punks vs. conformity, scene kids vs. preps. Counterculture was seen, felt, and heard - loudly and unapologetically. They were clear reactions to a clear mainstream culture, they were the "weird kids" of their time.
This begs the question, if these countercultures were so visible, so strong in their respective time periods, why don't we hear about any now? Where is the "modern counterculture"? The "counterculture of the 2020s"?
It exists, that much is certainly true. But the situation has complicated; it is not as easy to identify, and is less unified than previous countercultures.
In order to help see it, we should first describe the dominant culture it pushes against.
Today, the dominant culture largely orbits around two planets: productivity and social media. Fashion trends lean toward the minimal, the neutral, the professional. If it wouldn't fit in in the workplace, it wouldn't show up in the wardrobe. Hobbies and interests are productized on social media to generate attentional revenue. If it can't be posted, it won't be bothered with. Algorithms deliver automatic content curated to every user to maximize engagement. If it doesn't fire you up in any way, whether for better or worse, it won't be shown. Content creators are enticed to create engagement-maximizing content. If it doesn't blow up, it won't be posted. Lifestyles focus on work and future concerns, with "play" serving a functional role to reset the mind and body. If there is extra time, it will be dedicated to work or functional recharging. Health and wellness practices (largely) focus on optimizing body statistics, mood stability, and improving productive potential. If an activity worsens biomarkers, it won't be done.
Now, given this dominant culture, a force of productivity, optimization, and performance, what would the counterculture theoretically look like?
A Modern Counterculture:
Fashion trends lean toward the maximal, the visible, the personal. If it wouldn't fit the individual, it wouldn't show up in the wardrobe. Hobbies and interests are done for their own sake with no end goal in mind. Social media is treated as a tool to foster authentic community. If the site/app begins to push beyond this role, it will be deleted/blocked/deactivated. Lifestyles center around play and focus on the present moment, with spontaneity and curiosity. If there is extra time, it will be spent in play. Health and wellness practices focus on maintaining the ability to enjoy life to its fullest.
Interestingly enough, what happens to align most with this theoretical description is the scene subculture of the 2000s. Maximalist hair, neon wristbands, clothing designed to stand out; passionate self-expression rooted in shared community; the use of social media to foster authentic connection and self-expression, with sites like Myspace enabling highly expressive personal pages and encouraging connections through its design; lifestyles centered around vibrant music and self-expression; high-maintenance looks donned purely for expressive purposes.
Though scene happens to go against modern norms simply by coincidence, it is only one expression of modern counterculture among many that are possible. Nonetheless, it is a good example of what the counterculture looks like in practice.
I think that the growing wave of nostalgia for the 2000s and 2010s is a small spark of counterculture formed by people clashing against the current unhealthy dominant culture. Scene kids were one instantiation (and arguably the most distilled version) of the particular cultural values prevalent at the time that overlap with what modern counterculture would look like, especially regarding the values of self-expression and spontaneous play.
Given all the above, I believe the current modern counterculture is distributed across many individuals who don't necessarily know each other, but who engage in quiet defiance of the current norms. It is not unified into one shared identity, but its participants are growing nonetheless, and what they have in common is a rejection of productivity culture, of social media primacy, muted styles, future orientation, concern for optimization. What they have in common is an embrace of the present moment, of life centered around play, of distinctly vibrant self-expression, of irrationally unproductive and unoptimized choices.
But ultimately, counterculture cannot exist without individuals seeing the dominant culture and making a conscious choice to defy it. I believe the modern counterculture is only at its infancy. With more and more people independently making that choice of defiance and seeking out others who also made the choice, a stronger, clearer counterculture can form - one that, hopefully, will inspire more people to live richer, more vibrant lives in the moment.
And it starts with the individual.