Gen Z social media habits differ significantly from older generations, with many young adults viewing platforms like Instagram less as personal diaries and more as professional tools, according to Italian photographer Niccolò Rastrelli. His international portrait project, titled IRL, explores identity construction among digital natives by pairing bedroom photographs with phone screen captures of their digital activity across the UK, Italy, Morocco, and France.
How Gen Z Builds Identity Online Versus Offline
According to Rastrelli, who was born in 1977, bedrooms have historically served as a young person’s first solo home and the primary venue for identity formation through posters, books, and personal objects. Today, platforms such as Instagram fulfill a similar function for generation Z, who grew up as digital natives. Rastrelli recruited subjects ranging from 14-year-olds to adults in their late 20s to document this dynamic. For example, 23-year-old web developer and social media manager Francesco does not post on his personal account, treating the space much like a chef who avoids cooking at home after working in a restaurant all day, as observed by Rastrelli.
Multiple Accounts and Privacy Strategies Among Young Users
Research conducted through Rastrelli’s questionnaire reveals that many young people maintain multiple profiles on a single platform to manage their public and private identities. Lana, a 16-year-old from Florence, stated that only on her most private Instagram account does she feel free to truly be herself, after obtaining her first smartphone at age 11 following long negotiations with her parents. Similarly, Stevie, a 20-year-old student from Pennsylvania studying abroad in Rome, maintains both a public and a private Instagram account, shifting his tone and identity depending on which profile he uses.
Did you know? Many young users co-curate their portrait projects by selecting specific phone screen snapshots—often from temporary Instagram “stories” featuring silly filters, casual food snaps, and film camera portraits—to represent their daily digital lives alongside their physical bedrooms.
Comparing Generational Perspectives on Digital Platforms
Despite growing regulatory debates regarding online safety, including a planned UK ban for under-16s set to be enforced next spring with no equivalent plans currently in Italy, Rastrelli noted that his subjects do not appear more negatively affected by digital platforms than their elders. In fact, many gen Z participants reported using social media less than members of generation X. Furthermore, platform preferences mark a sharp divide: Facebook, which Rastrelli associates with older users, barely came up during his conversations with younger participants.
Professional Ambitions and Creative Outlets
For many participants in the IRL project, digital tools directly intersect with career ambitions. Anna, a 23-year-old from Glasgow who received her first phone at 11, uses Instagram primarily as a source of creative inspiration as she pursues a career in film. Meanwhile, Andrea, a 22-year-old from Florence who performs as a drag artist, maintains separate personal and professional accounts while utilizing Photoshop strictly for editorial framing rather than concealing his appearance. Ali, a 28-year-old working in social media marketing in Rabat, views the online space as a vital outlet for personal expression and professional inspiration after years of using broken legacy devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the IRL photography project by Niccolò Rastrelli?
The IRL project is an international photography series by Niccolò Rastrelli that explores gen Z identity by pairing portraits of young people in their bedrooms with screenshots of their mobile phone activity across countries including the UK, Italy, Morocco, and France.
Why do many gen Z users maintain multiple social media accounts?
According to project participants like 16-year-old Lana, multiple profiles allow young users to separate public presentation from private spaces where they feel freer to express their authentic selves.
How do gen Z social media habits compare to older generations?
Photographer Niccolò Rastrelli observed that many gen Z participants use social media less than generation X adults and often treat platforms as professional or creative work tools rather than casual personal diaries.
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