Ji Seung-ryeol, 41, prides himself on his sense of fashion.
He diligently shares mirror selfies on Instagram, where everyone knows the more likes you get, the cooler you are.
So he was bewildered to find out that men his age have become the subject of ridicule online, mocked for shoehorning their way into styles associated with Gen Z and younger millennials.
AI-generated caricatures of this demographic have gone viral on social media: a middle-aged man decked out in street wear and clutching an iPhone. The kids call them "Young 40s".
The memes have made Ji's beloved Nike Air Jordans and Stüssy T-shirts the butt of jokes—and the source of much indignation.
