Are You A "Yuccie?"

This just in: hipsters are out, and yuccies are so in. If you don't know what "yuccie" means yet, though, don't fret. Soon, we'll all be way too familiar with the successor to the hipster trend, and by the end of this post, you'll be able to spot one from miles away. Speaking of which... ohmygod, THERE'S ONE BEHIND YOU. Oh, wait, that's your roommate? Well, I warned you that the yuccie revolution was upon us. They must be multiplying faster than anticipated.

What Does It Mean?

The "Young Urban Creative" phenomenon was first explored by freelancer David Infante in a column for Mashable earlier this week entitled "The hipster is dead, and you might not like what comes next." Loosely defined as "the despicable millenn-intelligensia," the yuccie is neither a hipster nor a yuppie. The yuccie has the same burning desire for individuality, self-expression, and creativity as hipsters, but with the craving for success and, most importantly, validation that marks a yuppie. As Infante writes, yuccies are a combination of "the yuppie’s new money thirst for yachts and recognition with the hipster’s anti-ambition, smoke-laced individualism, [and]... millennial entitlement." Yuccies may be cynical, but unlike hipsters, they don't pretend to be unconcerned with money. As Business Insider put it, they are defined by their wishes for jobs that "stimulate their minds and their senses and their passion — but also pay the bills with a little left over." The yuccie is constantly on the lookout for a job that they find fulfilling and provides dental insurance. Cavities are no joke, people.

How Do I Spot One?

<img class="article-body-image" src="http://media.giphy.com/media/xYdighjRYh7JC/giphy.gif" alt="school animated GIF " height="450" width="760"/>Do you live in a yuccie neighborhood? Are your friends yuccies? Are you surrounded by yuccies at this very moment? Infante provided a handy checklist of yuccie characteristics so you can answer these very questions:

• Owns multiple copies of Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
• Doesn’t like gentrification in theory; loves artisanal donuts in practice
• Really wants to go to Austin soon because hears it’s incredible
• Takes boozy painting classes
• Used to be “in banking” and occasionally still pronounces finance “fuh-nontz”
• Avoids visible tattoos (not a prudent career move)
• Loves Seinfeld even though it went off the air when they were 16
• Gets the NYT Weekend Edition but doesn’t read the news
• Has thousands of Instagram followers, but almost no Twitter followers

Wait... Am I A Yuccie??

<img class="article-body-image" src="http://media.giphy.com/media/XXUAGPJuiDe3C/giphy.gif" alt="sherlock animated GIF " height="322" width="805"/>If you've been reading this and nervously wondering whether you fit the bill, I have bad news: you probably do. If it makes you feel better, however, you're not the only one. As someone who... well, kinda-sorta fits the bill on this one, I've compiled my own list of signs you might be a yuccie. You might be a yuccie if you...

• Live in a rapidly gentrifying/already gentrified neighborhood.
• Have a degree in something "useful" but gave it up to pursue a more fulfilling career, like, say, deferring medical school to be a writer. (Not that I've ever done such a thing. Haha. Ha. Ha.)
• Know exactly how often to Instagram every week without getting on all your followers' nerves.
• Haven't made a witty Facebook status in at least six months, because all your older relatives are on there now and would undoubtedly ruin the joke.
• Have been meaning to start a blog for, like, three years now, but you're waiting on inspiration to strike.
• Find yourself staring longingly at websites like Lululemon and Nasty Gal but are too financially responsible to actually buy anything for full price...
• ...Even though you still find the money for tickets to a music festival once a year.
• Refuse to move anywhere that has more Starbucks than local coffee shops, despite your secret love for Frapuccinos.

There you have it. Now be honest: are you a yuccie? If you are, it's okay. I won't tell anyone if you don't.

<img class="article-body-image" src="http://media0.giphy.com/media/12OyhOh3vqSnhS/giphy.gif" alt="30 rock animated GIF " height="450" width="689"/>Images: Giphy