When most people picture social media stardom, they envision fresh-faced teens or twenty-somethings dancing to viral tracks, pouting for selfies, or hawking the latest beauty products. But in 2025, the digital stage is welcoming a new—and perhaps unexpected—cast of stars: the so-called "silver influencers," people in their fifties, sixties, seventies, and beyond who are taking TikTok and Instagram by storm. With millions of followers, brand deals, and viral moments, these older creators are rewriting the rules of online fame and proving that style, creativity, and even a little sass know no age limit.
Take Viv Truran, for instance. The 81-year-old Cardiff native is hardly a household name—unless you’re one of her nearly 300,000 Instagram followers. Each day, Viv shares videos of her outfits and styling tips, often going viral. "I don't mind being called a 'silver surfer' or a 'silver influencer'. I'll take that," she told BBC. "Can you believe over five million people have seen me? I just can't get over it." Viv’s followers, who span from their twenties to their golden years, tune in for her authenticity and unfiltered approach. "I think people want authenticity and I think, I hope, I'm authentic. What you see is what you get."
Viv isn’t alone in this digital renaissance. On the other side of the Atlantic, 81-year-old Sherry Grossi from North Carolina brings encouragement to her nearly 130,000 Instagram followers and 30,000 TikTok fans. Her message is clear: don’t let age define you. "I find that women, as they age, get booked into a certain category and you're supposed to slow down and you're not supposed to do this or that and, to me, that's totally wrong," Grossi said, as reported by BBC. "If I can do it at 80 years old, anybody can do it." For Sherry, and countless others, the rise of older influencers is not just about personal expression—it’s about challenging the stereotypes that have long dictated what it means to age.
The numbers back up this trend. According to the Office for National Statistics, the UK population aged 65 and over increased in the year leading up to mid-2024, reflecting a broader demographic shift. As Professor Eleri Rosier from Cardiff University Business School explained, this change is now mirrored online: "For a long time, social media has been dominated by younger creators but now, a lot more, we're seeing older influencers." She attributes their popularity to content that resonates with followers of all ages—content that feels real, relatable, and refreshingly free of pretense.
Rhian Davies, 58, from Cwmbran, Torfaen, knows this firsthand. Once told that women become "invisible" after middle age, she decided to push back by sharing her everyday outfits on TikTok. The result? Over 170,000 followers and a flood of positive feedback. Rhian’s most popular videos are those where she appears makeup-free, embracing her natural hair and the realities of life. "From very early on I realised that most women wanted to see themselves represented, not this perfectly groomed woman with the Aga in the background and the kitchen island. They wanted to see somebody that looked like them," she explained to BBC. "When you're in your 50s, you don't always want to watch the ones in their 20s doing their makeup, because what works for them doesn't work for my age group."
Brands, too, are waking up to the power of age diversity. Sali Hughes, beauty columnist for The Guardian, isn’t surprised by the rise of "silver influencers." After years of targeting young consumers, brands are realizing that older people often have more disposable income. "If you obsess so much on youth that will bite you on the bum, unfortunately," Hughes quipped. The logic is simple: ignore older shoppers at your own peril.
Some silver influencers have reached heights that would make any Gen Z creator envious. Valerie Mackay, 62, from the Scottish Highlands, started posting her own fashion content because she couldn’t find creators who looked like her. Eight years later, she boasts more than one million Instagram followers and collaborates with high-end brands like Armani and L'Oréal. "With social media, it doesn't matter how old you are, where you live, the opportunity's there if you want to go for it," she told BBC.
The phenomenon isn’t limited to the UK. In Miami, Celina Fajardo, 75, and Filiberto Padron, 77, better known as "Ganas Con Canas," have become a sensation with 1.4 million TikTok followers and 578,000 on Instagram. Their journey to fame is as inspiring as their dance moves. Padron survived a grim cancer diagnosis in 2005—doctors gave him just 15 days to live—and Fajardo was once told she’d never walk again after a serious fall. Today, the couple are full-time influencers, dancing their way across social media and even gracing the stage of "America’s Got Talent."
Their viral moment came unexpectedly in 2017 at Miami’s Magic City Casino. "The song of Yomil y El Dany started... And (Padron) said, hold on, I am the king of movement. And the dance floor was full of people dancing! And when we started dancing, everyone else separated and left the dance floor open," Fajardo recalled to Telemundo. A bystander’s video captured their energy, and soon after, the couple was stopped by police—not for any wrongdoing, but for a photo. "They said, 'You didn’t know you were famous?' And I said, 'And that fame? Famous for what?'" Fajardo laughed. From that moment, their lives changed.
Now, the couple earns enough from collaborations with local businesses to cover basics like car insurance and gas, though they mostly live off their retirement savings. "The boutique that gives us clothes, another gives us jewelry, another gives us food or invites us to eat, but it’s not a salary," Padron explained. Their real passion, however, is using their platform to help others. "We are influencers and we have, thanks to God, a lot of followers, people who like us, and we know dancers, singers, and they are starting out in this country, and we say come over here we are going to dance with you, sing a little song to see if our social media can help bring light to you, so people can see you, look at you," Padron said.
Critics may scoff at their moves, but the couple shrugs off the negativity. "We feel content when we are pressed against each other, why? Because we are in love!" Padron declared. Their advice for anyone hesitating to try something new later in life? "If the car has gas, why are you going to park it? Take it out for a spin. Press the gas, waste the gasoline!"
As the world’s population ages and social media platforms evolve, these silver influencers are not just a trend—they’re a testament to the power of reinvention, resilience, and a little bit of fun. For anyone doubting whether it’s ever too late to take the spotlight, these creators offer a resounding answer: absolutely not.
