Key facts
- Emma Camp, 27, is a writer for The Wall Street Journal's editorial page.
- Camp uses short-form vertical videos to share pro-free market ideas.
- Her videos often challenge Gen Z's views on issues like housing costs, consumerism, and personal responsibility.
- Camp argues that rent control makes housing problems worse by discouraging development.
- A video on grocery stores, arguing capitalism benefits consumers, received 6.5 million views.
- Camp identifies as a 'small-l liberal' concerned with individual freedom.
Emma Camp, a 27-year-old writer for The Wall Street Journal's editorial page, has gained significant traction on X by using short-form vertical videos to challenge commonly held beliefs, particularly among Gen Z, about capitalism, consumerism, and personal responsibility. Her content often debunks the idea that capitalism is the primary cause of societal problems, advocating instead for free-market principles.
One of her viral videos, questioning the efficacy of rent control in addressing housing crises, garnered 4.8 million views on X. Camp argues that such regulations discourage developers from building new units by limiting their potential return on investment. This video is part of a broader strategy where Camp tackles issues like grocery prices and Gen Z's perceived "wallowing in their own powerlessness."
Camp's follower count on X has surged from 25,000 to 125,000 in recent weeks. She describes her approach as being a "debunker," enjoying stories where she can demonstrate that a commonly held belief is incorrect. Her videos often feature a perky, approachable delivery style, sometimes concluding with a lighthearted demonstration, such as twirling around a Whole Foods store.
Her rise coincides with many of her peers entering adulthood facing challenges like the pandemic, a weak job market, and high housing costs. Camp's message suggests that the perceived culprits, like capitalism, may be misidentified, and that common supports, such as the Democratic Socialists of America or an over-reliance on therapy, may be flawed. According to influencer marketing platform CreatorIQ, her Instagram followers are largely male, aged in their late 20s to early 40s.
Camp also faced criticism, with some arguing she oversimplifies complex issues and is dismissive of Gen Z's struggles. She views pushback as a sign that her ideas are worth engaging with. She previously published a New York Times op-ed in 2022 about censorship on college campuses, which she described as a "baptism by fire" after facing significant backlash.
Camp leverages social media trends like vertical video and clipping, where short snippets of longer content gain wider reach. A 75-second clip of an interview with The Washington Post's Megan McArdle was viewed 1.2 million times on X, significantly more than the full 42-minute YouTube video. This trend has boosted the visibility of many journalists, with traditional outlets like The Wall Street Journal employing journalists like Camp to create short-form video content.
Regarding grocery prices, Camp's video arguing that supermarkets demonstrate capitalism's benefits, despite inflation, encouraged food producers' innovation. Some commenters pointed to government subsidies and market concentration, but Camp maintains that the variety of rice and other food options available indicates sufficient competition. She states her primary concern is maximizing economic prosperity for the most people, opposing unnecessary regulation and protectionism over a welfare state.