A NEW trend has taken the internet by storm in which users, mostly from Gen-Z, are generating their 1980s vintage self-portraits through artificial intelligence (AI) tools and posting them across social media platforms. While it evokes a sense of fun as people picture themselves in a bygone era in which they did not exist, what it leads to is a matter of close consideration.
Arguably, the pictures AI generates in response to prompts are as real as the possibility of Gen-Z having actually existed in the 1980s. AI-generated images are attractive, refined and fashionable, just like idealised portraits. This compels young people to become dissatisfied with their real appearance. This new fad seems fine if they could stop after generating a couple of images. Unfortunately, it has become rather rampant among the youth to edit their physical features, outfits and back- grounds through AI to create an impression on social media and receive validation. This is what is surely devastating. The frequency of such occurrences shows an element of escapism and self-rejection among the youth that is neither healthy for themselves nor for society at large, as it can result in pseudo-personalities.
Huzaifa Jawaid
Karachi
Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2026
