Instagram stories have been filled with photos of people at age 21 as part of a nostalgic trend.The new trend comes hot on the heels of the Spotify Daylist “story challenge,” pointing to a new viral opportunity on Instagram. The trend of sharing 21st birthday photos is especially popular among Millennials, who likely documented their 21st on Facebook in its prime. (And many Gen Z aren’t even old enough yet to “tap in” on a flashback at being 21). This trend reflects the impact of technology on how people document and share their memories, while looking back on “fonder and more carefree times,” and is a more organic version of many platforms’ encouraged “throwback” sharing. (NYT)
