Generation Z is changing to a lifestyle that is “simple and curious.”
Gen Z is increasingly embracing a “sober curious” lifestyle, motivated by a desire for improved physical health, mental clarity, and financial well-being.
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She goes out to nightly clubs with $20,000 bottle service, yachts on Miami’s Biscayne Bay, and parties in mansions.
Many college freshmen post pictures of themselves partying, but the internet is obsessed with Nikki Pindor.
The University of Miami freshman only started posting TikTok videos two months ago, but has amassed 289,000 followers and more than 46 million video views. “GRWM (get ready with me) for morning classes at the University of Miami after 7 straight nights out,” one video reads. “Spend your Saturday night together in Miami, featuring artist events, $20,000 club tables, and oceanfront mansions,” she wrote over another clip set to Lil Jon’s “Drink.”
But unlike her party-mates, she remains sober.
“You don’t need alcohol to feel good,” says Pindor. “People are… dancing and having fun. It’s not hard to just join in.”
Gen Z is drinking less alcohol and having sex less often. Research shows that while these are positive, they are also indicators that some Gen Z members are socially isolated. But Pindor and creators like her push back against the idea that today’s young people are less sociable than previous generations, and that TikTok’s algorithms are being used to monetize their parties.
Gen Z is less filtered than past generations
Pindor’s secret to fame is that her content is unfiltered. While many college students make headlines for their elaborate game-day outfits, decorated luxury apartments, and brand-name trips, Pindor’s video is refreshingly graphic.
While she’s shown partying in mansions and yachts, she also shares how she gets free dinners “as a villain with no trust fund.” She doesn’t have a ring light. She jokes that her blonde hair is dry and growing, but most of the makeup products featured in her videos can be found at CVS.
“I literally get out of bed, set up my phone, and just record,” Pindor says. “Even if I’m bare-faced and my hair is messy and I just woke up, I’ll post it because I know people will relate to it.”
In one video, she pans across a dormitory, showing sandals strewn on the floor, clothes hanging from the ceiling to dry, misorganized cosmetics, and the harsh fluorescent lights and stark white walls of the room.
Platforms like YouTube and TikTok have changed the way young people share their lives. And while Instagram’s standard is a more sophisticated aesthetic, TikTok’s trend-driven community has a more casual feel, prioritizing user engagement and creating a fertile environment for personal moments to go viral.
Best-selling author Ryan Jenkins, who has written extensively about Gen Z and Millennials, previously told USA TODAY that for better or worse, social media has given Gen Z “a platform to have their voices heard and speak up from day one.” He said technology has in many ways given Gen Z “overstimulation” that other generations haven’t had to deal with.
“Our generation as a whole is becoming more unserious,” Pindor says.
For some viewers, there’s an element of nostalgia in watching Pindor prepare for a Thirsty Thursday or drag himself to an 8 a.m. class.
One user commented, “As a 34-year-old retired girl, please continue to live your best life like a young girl!!” “I’m watching your videos as a 31-year-old mother raising a toddler. Your videos remind me so fondly of when I was a student,” said another.
Pindor hopes her content will help inspire young people to have fun and go out and meet people. She says the atmosphere of a bar or club, with music playing and people dancing, is a more relaxed social environment than a classroom.
“I’m literally just going out to dance and make new friends,” Pindor said. “It makes it easier to interact with people and really make connections.”
Rachel Hale’s role covering youth mental health for USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input. Contact X at rhale@usatoday.com and @rachelleighhale.
