Is posting on Instagram now considered uncool among Gen Z?

I have noticed that lately, it has become uncool to post on Instagram among many Gen Zers. It seems like everyone I know is trying to maintain a sort of mysterious persona. No story posts, no feed posts, no reels—their Instagram profiles are practically blank. In fact, some of my friends, who used to share cute selfies whenever we went out, now post only rarely. What happened?

I spoke to a few Gen Zers to understand why everyone suddenly stopped posting, and I realized that posting is just not it anymore. Over the years, we have seen Instagram change right before our eyes. It now feels like a platform primarily for an audience-creator dichotomy, where we use the app mainly to keep up with influencers, celebrities, and creators who are comfortable sharing glimpses of their lives. One thing many Gen Zers mentioned is the pressure to post high-quality or interesting content. We can't deny the pressure to curate a perfect image or aesthetic. Chronically online teenagers have even started adding 'core' as a suffix to describe different styles. Many of us feel the need to post content that others will find appealing or engaging. We don’t want to be labeled as cringe or seen as that annoying person who clogs people's feeds with lame content.

There is also a growing desire among Gen Z for more authentic, less curated online experiences. This reluctance to post on platforms like Instagram, which are often associated with polished, idealized content, can be seen in our quick embrace of BeReal. It feels like we have grown tired of Instagram because we’re all exhausted by the pressure to post something nice. Some Gen Zers I spoke to said they only post when something significant is happening in their lives. What happened to posting a cute, silly selfie taken in a park? I miss the good old days of Instagram when everyone posted whatever they felt like. Shout out to Zendaya during Instagram's prime—she was killing it. It feels like no one is being themselves on Instagram these days. Everyone is trying so hard to be Instagrammable or do something that will make them go viral.

I have also seen many videos on my TikTok For You Page where young people discuss their fear of being perceived. Many of us can’t handle the anxiety or discomfort of knowing that others are observing, judging, or forming opinions about us. For Gen Z, this fear is heightened by the highly visual and public nature of Instagram, where posts are subject to immediate scrutiny and feedback. Unlike previous generations, who had more private forms of social interaction, Gen Z's social experiences are deeply intertwined with a platform that demands constant visibility. So it makes sense that we might shy away from posting on social media. Ironically, the point of social media is to be “social,” and if you're going to be social, you can't avoid being perceived.

From my personal experience, I didn’t post for a long time either because I was waiting to have clearer skin, cooler clothes, or a visit to a fancy restaurant or party before I posted. But that didn’t stop me from posting on my Instagram story. In fact, I share every single thought that pops into my head on my story. I found it amusing when a friend told me I posted too much. Another person said they unfollowed me because I updated my story too often (his loss—my story is lit). What is the point of being on social media if I don’t get to be social? I am very extroverted, and this reflects how I use social media. I see a lot of peers who are very social in person but have what I would call an introverted online persona, which can be confusing. I usually have a “Who shot up the Taco Bell?” reaction because the personality change is so unexpected. But I understand that not everyone wants to be a social media titan, and that’s totally valid. That doesn’t mean I want everyone to stay mysterious.

Another reason we might be hesitant to post these days is our awareness of social comparison and its impact on mental health. Many of us prefer not to share anything and let the "cool kids" with the perfect, “Instagrammable” lives handle it. We have become comfortable as passive users who live vicariously through people like Nara Smith or Alix Earle. That’s totally okay. We are all allowed to use Instagram in whatever way works for us. But please, can we try to be a bit more social? Instagram alone can’t make Instagram what it once was. It would take a collective effort to bring back the Instagram we once enjoyed expressing ourselves on.