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Recently, I noticed some people suddenly removing their Instagram posts and reverting to the default DP of a gray silhouette.
This is similar to how the popular singer-songwriter Moira Dela Torre deleted all her posts on her 4.8-million-follower Instagram page a week ago. This was unusual for many, which sparked the question, why did she do it?
As a long-time social media user, I witnessed my fair share of people deleting their social media accounts for good. However, it was unnatural to see several people, particularly in the younger demographics of Gen Z, follow what appears to be a new trend.
After reading some articles and a few more Google searches, I encountered an unfamiliar term called “Grid Zero.” In this article, let’s look at this new phenomenon that seems to be initiated by Gen Zs.
What is Grid Zero?
While we can’t be totally sure why Moira did it, hiding one’s photos can be likened to the current Gen Z Instagram trend of “Grid Zero.”
Grid Zero is the trend, primarily by Gen Zs, where they delete or archive their IG posts so it doesn’t appear on their three-column IG grid. Hence, the term grid zero, which is like a blank slate.
In an NPR article published in April 2024, Meta’s Kim Garcia, who helps lead research into cultural trends on Instagram, said that Grid Zero is a growing phenomenon, led mostly by Gen Z.
Why does it appeal to the younger generations?
The trend has existed for some time because even Millennials do this. It’s just not happening at the same rate as the Grid Zero movement is happening with Gen Zs.
Garcia added that younger digital natives had grown to avoid permanence and digital footprints. As we have witnessed, their generation grew up in a time when everything is made public on social media with little private space to explore, which, in a way, is taking their privacy back.
However, grid zero is not about ditching social media altogether. Instead, younger users are just using social media differently. Unlike the more traditional users who upload everything on Instagram, the younger users are spending their time mostly on DMs and less permanent stories.
For some, grid zero is their way to appear mysterious, while others view it as a design choice that embraces minimalism.
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Posting differently, posting sneaky
Some users still post on their profile, but not in the traditional way where it will appear on the feed. Instead, they upload a picture and immediately archive it so it doesn’t appear on their friends’ feeds. After a few days, they’ll un-archive it, which will show up on their IG grid, so it doesn’t pop up on the feed.
Others would have “finsta” or fake Instagram accounts, where they would share posts only with a smaller group of friends. This is after making their main profile grid zero.
Some young people even view uploading pictures and caring about the aesthetics of their Instagram feeds as “cheungy” or uncool in Gen Z lingo.
The future of social media is hard to predict, but there are already observable differences between how Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha are using it. People have also changed their social media platform preferences, such as Facebook, IG, X, TikTok, Snapchat, etc., as well as their social media behaviors.
This article, What is Grid Zero? Understanding the new Gen Z Instagram trend, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
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