Pinterest searches for “smoking pose” are up 70% year-over-year among 18-24-year-olds in the U.S. Cigarettes are having a visual renaissance: popping up in celebrity social posts, runway looks, and fashion content across TikTok and Instagram. Experts point to “brat summer” as the turning point, when Charli XCX’s unapologetic hedonism began to dethrone the ultra-sanitized “clean girl aesthetic.” As the owner behind the Instagram @cigfluencers (84K followers) explains it, when the American dream feels out of reach and AI is making everything feel intangible, “why not have a cheeky cigarette?” The vibe shift is real, and YPulse data does show that more 18-24-year-olds are smoking in 2025 than did in 2019. It lines up with habits we’ve been watching for a while—from “ungovernable” vaping to Gen Z leaning into doom as a coping mechanism. Smoking’s aesthetic comeback fits a rejection of overly polished perfection in favor of something a little messier. (Newsweek)
👀 Read more from YPulse: Vaping is So Gen Z, Cigarettes are So Millennial
