Taylor Lorenz’s Power User The Death of Casual Posting w/ Kyle Chayka
18 snips
Sep 10, 2025 
Kyle Chayka, a writer at The New Yorker, dives into the decline of casual posting on social media. He explores the nostalgia for spontaneous sharing, now overshadowed by polished influencer content and algorithmic pressures. The conversation highlights how social media has morphed post-2016, leading to a sense of 'posting ennui' and reduced creativity. Chayka also discusses newer platforms like Blue Sky striving to revive genuine connections, questioning the future of authentic self-expression in an increasingly commercialized online landscape.
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Posting Ennui Is Widespread
- Kyle Chayka felt apathetic about posting and explored whether others felt the same.
- He found many people report alienation from normal social feeds and reduced casual sharing.
Mundane Posts Built Early Social Media
- Early social media felt like a communal experiment where mundane posts were part of its charm.
- Over the 2010s that spontaneity fossilized into an environment where banal posts were derided.
Ephemeral Formats Redirect Casual Sharing
- Disappearing formats like Snapchat and Instagram Stories shifted banal sharing to ephemeral spaces.
- That change let people hide everyday moments and control who sees them.