Yuppie
Candlefocus EditorYuppies tend to live in, or near, urban areas and are increasingly seen as part of an affluent demographic that prizes aspirational lifestyles and exclusive products. They are more likely than other demographic groups to shop at high-end retailers and to buy luxury goods and services. They tend to place a high value on work, often prioritize career advancement, and are likely to invest in their education.
Yuppies often purchase mid-priced housing in up-and-coming urban areas, thereby helping to spur gentrification in their chosen neighborhoods. They also oftentimes embrace a move toward healthier eating habits and engage in activities such as yoga and Pilates. It is typical for yuppies to enjoy weekend getaways to suburban or rural escapes and prefer to go to theater performances and popular restaurants.
Though there is no standard definition of a yuppie, the term is generally used to reference a particular type of young professional. Other characteristics typically associated with yuppies include ambition, fashion consciousness, high tech involvement, and a desire to incorporate unique experiences into their lifestyles. Media coverage of yuppies in the 1980s and 1990s affected not only their own behavior, but also their perception in the eyes of the public.
Today the term “yuppie” has somewhat gone out of fashion in mainstream culture and it is largely seen as a relic of the past. Nevertheless, the behaviors and intense work ethic of yuppies live on in many of the same types of hard-charging young professionals that it first denoted. Though the exact definition of a yuppie is difficult to pinpoint, the term still captures an idea of ambition, privilege, and professional success that was at the heart of the term when it was first coined.