Psychology suggests adults who never post on social media aren’t out of touch: They may be protecting a version of themselves that does not need an audience

People who do not post any information on social media websites are often seen as secretive, detached, or outdated, but the psychology literature suggests this may not be the case at all. On the contrary, for some people, not posting any information may have nothing to do with detachment from society but rather with a conscious boundary regarding identity, attention, and self-presentation. Social media tends to promote the visibility of everything posted on the website, making every post appear like a performance when every action is documented publicly.

In other words, according to psychological research on self-presentation, authenticity, and self-concept, it is less important for individuals whether they remain visible online; rather, they are more concerned with staying authentic in their online self-presentation. In a systematic review published in PubMed, it was reported that authenticity in social media use was positively correlated with self-concept clarity.