Here’s how to identify a millennial TikTok according to Gen Z.
Gen Z can easily distinguish millennial TikToks.
Credit: TikTok/@taylormknott; Instagram/@andrewbriedis
If the internet has shown us anything, it’s that every few months, a new cultural clash arises between millennials and Gen Z. It began with side parts vs. middle parts, then skinny jeans vs. baggy denim, followed by the millennial pause and the Gen Z stare. Now, the latest dispute involves the space above your head in videos. Specifically, how much space you leave above it.
The discussion started when Gen Z creator @taylormknott joked that you can tell someone’s age by their TikTok filming style, as millennials leave “a ton of space between the top of their head and the top of the screen.” This observation resonated with younger viewers used to TikTok’s tight framing but also prompted responses from millennials. One such response came from screenwriter Andrew Briedis on Instagram Reels.
Briedis defended millennial filmmaking instincts, explaining that this wasn’t accidental. “It’s called the Rule of Thirds,” he said, a principle in photography and cinematography for visual balance. Millennials believe leaving space above the head intentionally draws the viewer’s eye, as opposed to cramming a face in the center of the frame.
Millennials’ approach stems from generational experiences with technology. “We didn’t have phones to record on,” Briedis explained. Video was learned through deliberate education, while Gen Z grew up constantly using front-facing cameras. This different upbringing results in a varied visual language, with Gen Z favoring closer framing optimized for vertical screens.
Each generation’s approach is a product of different media ecosystems—millennials’ camera upbringing contrasts with Gen Z’s smartphone-era habits. The debate about headspace isn’t truly about framing; it reflects generational differences in technology exposure. What Gen Z sees as awkward framing, millennials recognize as composition.
These generational internet debates are less about correctness and more about evolving media habits, where what seems right to one generation can appear different to another, even in terms of headspace in videos.
Topics: TikTok, Creators