Millennials invented the selfie; Gen Z perfected it.
One TikToker thinks she’s cracked the code for why always-online teens and 20-somethings are so much better at striking a pose than their older digital natives.
Christine Buzan, who has 1.4 million followers on her TikTok account @LookGoodInPhotos, posted a tutorial on TikTok to explain why millennials are “so uncomfortable in photos” while Gen Zers “are much more comfortable in front of to the camera”.
Buzan’s video was inspired by a previously viral clip featuring millennial comedian Kate Steinberg as she mocked the “millennial impulse” to make the peace sign or do the so-called sorority squat while Generation Z can contort their body instantly on a variety of models. – Poses esque.
The self-proclaimed posing expert furthered her theory with The Post, linking fashion savvy to generations’ relationship with technology.
“Gen Z is inherently better at posing,” the 33-year-old TikToker declared despite her fellow millennials.
“The one thing all millennials have in common is that technology changed very rapidly throughout our youth and adolescence,” he said, “and this is especially true for photography.”
The author of the online guide “101 Ways to Pose” pointed out how quickly the world went from relying on film cameras to having digital cameras in our pockets at all times.
She goes on to share a childhood memory of being scolded by her mother after filling a roll of film with random shots. Buzan sympathized with her mother’s frustration that buying and developing film is expensive and time consuming, so taking pictures can be a stressful event.
The “millennial mindset hasn’t caught up with technology,” Buzan said, stating that his generation still has a “scarcity mentality” when it comes to taking photos and believes that “photos are special and rare.”
She compares this way of thinking to Generation Z, who have grown up with a lot of technology at their fingertips, allowing them to “express who they are at any given moment with photos” and use it as another form of communication.
Buzan says she doesn’t think all millennials are “bad” at posing (she is, after all), but that most don’t give themselves “permission to experiment the way Gen Z does” because they “still they see photos like this really precious thing that makes or breaks our appearance.”
The selfie guru explained to The Post that, like other aspects of fashion, posing can also be a fad, indicating why people of the same generation seem to trust the same poses or feel that their usual moves may be outdated.
“The ’80s poses highlighted the use of space: there were a lot of ‘random’ tilts and angles. The 90s focused on attitude, individuality and the occupation of space. In the early years, the poses became more rigid with a lot of emphasis on turning to the side and bending the arm,” he said.
Then came the “caught-in-the-moment” pseudo-candid poses that feel “more nuanced and natural,” Buzan continued.
“The movement is having a huge moment,” he said of the selfies of the day, “as well as the poses that are more focused on showing an authentic connection rather than everyone trying to look their best. Tilt photos (both forward and backward) and those that play with perspective are also very popular.”
Buzan encourages his camera-challenged generational cohorts to take more photos and experiment with new poses, reminding them that “the worst thing that happens if you don’t like a photo is you delete it or don’t post it.”
Buzan’s video quickly went viral, racking up more than 1.2 million views on TikTok in just a few days, as thousands of millennials and “bad” posers identified with Buzan’s theory and shared some of their own.
“We also get embarrassed for taking too many photos for being vain. So we don’t want to ‘seem self-obsessed,’” @mvblinger shared, with other users echoing the thought.
User @wildirishrose1756 agreed, saying: “We also got ridiculed for the selfie and for wanting to look good so now most of us just don’t want to push ourselves when we’re the subject.”
“We also had no idea what they would look like, so we had to go with a ‘safe’ pose. They can SEE themselves on their cameras,” added @jenni.barrett.
Others also noted pervasive Gen Z traits, describing them as more carefree and confident, while also pointing to the fact that they grew up with digital cameras and social media for most of their lives, all of which can help them get the shot. perfect. .