I had to look up kayefabe and will likely be using it myself as it perfectly describes so much these days.
Your views on technocrats is on the money and having a Gen Z niece and nephew who were raised with heavy exposure to computer games and social media it is easy to see the harm.
I raised my own children with an appreciation of nature and creativity. We lived near Vancouver, B.C. and had an abundance of outdoor adventure options all year 'round and access to theater and art. It was also a very culturally diverse metro area and so were their friends. When we crossed the border to live in WA State (West Coast) it was much the same and was as though we had just crossed a major highway and changed schools. My children are grown now, have professional careers and are doing good things, and I've since moved to Hawaii.
What has happened in the U.S. since we moved here (2000, shortly before the election) has been hard to recon with. It is now a tinderbox just waiting for a flame. I worry all the time. One of my brood now resides in the UK, but I worry for her as well.
On the bright side I am encouraged by all the protests I see across this country and the world (I am out there, too). While we struggle against villains of every stripe (including people who don't seem to know better or don't care), there are also many courageous people, so there is hope.