Over 40% of Americans are “opting out” of the economy this year, according to new research by Stagwell’s Harris Poll.  Especially younger Americans 

Opting out, per the researcher, means finding ways to curb spending and 52% of Gen Z say they are finding ways to do it in 2026. The comparable figures for Millennials, Gen X and Boomers are 48%, 37%, and 29% respectively. 

Reasons for opting out include finances (31%), needing a break from economic and business cultures (29%), and not wanting to support the current administration (28%). 

41% of Gen Z say they don’t shop at their favorite store anymore because of their politics. 

Writing about the research, Harris Poll’s Chief Strategy Officer Libby Rodney and trends director Abbey Lunney write that what started last year as a trend has turned into a movement among Gen Z. 56% of Gen Z women and 49% of Gen Z men have no interest in supporting the economy this year. That’s up 10 and 21 percentage points respectively from last year.  

“In 2025, Gen Z women were protesting their rights being stripped from them,” the pair wrote on their Substack newsletter, The Next Big Think. “And 46% said they had “no interest in supporting the economy at all.” 

“What’s interesting this year,” they assert, “is that Gen Z men have joined the women.” 

“The cancel button is the new protest sign,” according to the duo. They point to last fall’s “Don’t Stream Fascism” campaign urging subscribers to cancel the streamer Spotify after it took ads from ICE (US Immigration & Customs Enforcement). After Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air last year a boycott gained traction to cancel Disney+ and Hulu. 

“The opt-out economy isn’t one battlefield anymore,” the pair writes. “It’s every transaction, every subscription, every autopay.” 

And it’s not just about those who can’t afford to spend, they add, noting that Americans earning more than $100,000 are following suit: 49% of are shifting spending to align with their morals, and 40% are actively finding ways to disengage from the economy. 

“When people who can afford to spend are choosing not to, this isn’t economic necessity. It’s economic protest. And it means the opt-out movement isn’t something brands can wait out until people’s finances improve. There’s nothing to improve. The wallet is closed on principle.”