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‘Jessica’ Named the New ‘Karen’ in Viral Social Media Meme

Observers tie the switch to Jessica’s late‑1980s name boom, turning it into a shorthand for younger, online‑first entitlement.

Overview

  • TikTok and Reddit users are circulating posts that cast Jessica as a slightly younger version of the Karen stereotype associated with entitled complaints.
  • KOCO cites BuzzFeed’s summary that this archetype posts long social‑media rants about minor inconveniences and remains convinced they are right.
  • Coverage describes a mode shift in which Karen confronts people in person, whereas the supposed Jessica vents primarily online.
  • Commentators note U.S. data showing Jessica was the most popular girls’ name from 1985 to 1990, offering a demographic explanation for the label’s traction.
  • Some Jessicas have pushed back, including a PEDESTRIAN.TV respondent who prefers “Jessie” and KOCO anchor Jessica Schambach, who said, “don’t be a ‘Karen,’ and this too shall pass.”