7 Popular Senior Instagram Accounts You Need to Follow
January 6, 2020
Reviewed and Updated by Troy Frink,
Seniors on Instagram are helping to change age-related stereotypes and they’re having fun doing it. Are you on Instagram? All you need to join these influencers is a smartphone and to download the Instagram app. The best part? The app is free, and you can use it to connect with your grandkids.
Social media influencers over 50 have become style icons, entrepreneurs, and they’ve even shown up at events such as music festivals and red carpets. Check out this list of popular senior Instagram accounts and give them a follow. Use these accounts as ideas for your own posts. Who knows? You might end up going viral just like some of the people below!
1. @magdalife57 (Magda Llohis de Gutierrez)
Followers: 21.9 thousand
Bio: “Age is an illusion. People call me fashionista, I call myself an artist. I 💜 life, laughter, music & color!”
Profile: https://www.instagram.com/magdalife57/
Magda Llohis de Gutierrez, 76, is living her best life and documenting it for everyone to see. She smiles in almost every photo she posts.
Llohis de Gutierrez’s Instagram initiation was about as free-spirited and spontaneous as her approach to life. According to the BBC, fashion blogger Ari Seth Cohen took photographs of Llohis de Guttierez and told her she “had to have an Instagram account.” She had “no clue what she was talking about.” She must’ve figured it out quickly — the self-proclaimed artist now has more than 20 thousand followers.
2. @baddiewinkle (Hellen Ruth Elam Van Winkle)
Followers: 3.8 million
Bio: “stealing ur man since 1928!!”
Profile: https://www.instagram.com/baddiewinkle/
Helen Ruth Elam Van Winkle worked in a factory for 28 years before rising to Instagram fame. The 91-year-old woman’s daughter posted a photo in cut-off denim shorts and a tie-dyed T-shirt while holding up a peace sign. Van Winkle told NPR that she thought people “saw a great-grandmother that didn’t care what anybody thought about her.”
Those rebellious vibes quickly went viral. Van Winkle now has nearly 4 million followers. “Being age-appropriate” is not a concern for the Insta-famous star — she’s often posting selfies from music festivals and red carpet events. She’s even been photographed lip-syncing with the rapper Drake.
Van Winkle also talks candidly about her challenges in life like her hip replacement surgery and the loss of her husband and son. She appreciates her Instagram community. “Thank you guys for always wanting to support me. I’m so undeniably grateful,” she wrote in one post.
3. @irvinrandle (Irvin Randle)
Followers: 315 thousand
Bio: “too grown”
Profile: https://www.instagram.com/irvinrandle/
Irvin Randle, 57, is an elementary school teacher from Houston, TX. He is a self-described “sharp-dresser,” and his Instagram posts back up his claims. Randle is a grandfather of two, and he even inspired his own hashtag — #MrStealYourGrandma. However, Randle was upset at the hashtag at first. “I don’t want anybody’s grandma,” he said.
Randle’s daughter sparked his Insta-fame flame. He became a social media celebrity seemingly overnight when his daughter took photos of him wearing a stylish outfit in 2016. He told Voyage Houston that he thought he was in trouble when his daughter told him he was trending.
Now Randle’s feed is full of him sporting tailored suits and urban wear. You can find him on Fashion Week runways, walking brides down the aisle, or exercising. “I exercise five days a week,” he said. “ I feel better now than I did at 27.”
4. @saramaijewels (Sarah Jane Adams)
Followers: 185 thousand
Bio: “Priceline Ambassador”
Profile: https://www.instagram.com/saramaijewels/
Sarah Jane Adams, 63, started her Instagram account to promote her jewelry business. Now her feed features an age-positive and feminist message. For example, she hashtags most of her posts with #MyWrinklesAreMyStripes. She said, “I have no desire to get rid of them,” after a makeup artist asked if Adams wanted to cover her wrinkles. “It’s ridiculous that we’re living in a world where showing an unfilled, make-up free face is considered ‘brave!’”
Adams was born in the United Kingdom and now lives in Sydney, Australia. She is on a mission to create diversity. “I don’t think people are following me because of my clothes or my jewelry,” she said. “It’s my attitude.”
5. @kimiko_nishimoto (Kimiko Nishimoto)
Followers: 223 thousand
Bio: “西本喜美子” (Translation: “Kimiko Nishimoto”)
Profile: https://www.instagram.com/kimiko_nishimoto/
Kimiko Nishimoto, 90, shows her followers that you’re never too old to learn something new. She joined her son for a photography class when she was 72, and she’s been snapping humorous photos ever since.
“I just want to do something funny,” Nishimoto explained to the Japan Times. “Life is all about being playful.” Nishimoto’s sense of humor skews toward slapstick or physical comedy. She’s also a skilled photo editor. Her Instagram feed shows edited photos of her flying on a broomstick, crashing scooters, and slamming doors on people.
Nishimoto credits photography with helping her cope with the loss of her husband in 2012. “Taking photos is my happiness,” she said. “I’ll keep doing it for as long as I’m alive.”
6. @dinneranddance (Lance Walsh)
Followers: 56 thousand
Bio: None
Profile: https://www.instagram.com/dinneranddance/
Lance Walsh, 58, sells fruit in London, England. He’s best-known for his streetwear fashion sense on social media, however. Walsh has dressed in colorful clothing and worked his fruit stand for more than 30 years. One day, a photographer named Ben Awin noticed him, posted photos on the internet, and later Walsh started an Instagram account.
Walsh can often be seen wearing hoodies, colorful T-shirts, camouflage pants, or colored shorts. His Instagram feed has caught the attention of followers all over the world. According to Walsh, some fans from Asia even “cry” when they see him.
7. @moonlin0106 (Linzhuang Yueli)
Followers: 108 thousand
Bio: “91歲的月光仙子” (Translation: “91-year-old moonlit fairy”)
Profile: https://www.instagram.com/moonlin0106/
Linzhuang Yueli, also known as Moon Lin, is 91 years old and from Taiwan. Lin is another Instagrammer who’s known for her streetwear style. She has more than 100 thousand fans, and it doesn’t seem like she’ll be slowing down any time soon.
Her feed shows her wearing colorful hats, sports gear, and even wearing a bunny costume as she goes on with her day-to-day life.
Find Your Next Favorite Social Media Influencers Over 50
We hope these senior social media influencers give you some ideas about what popular senior Instagram accounts to follow. This list is not exhaustive, and it doesn’t cover everyone. Do some exploring to find more inspiration and and accounts to follow!
Pro tip: After you’ve “liked” or commented on a few posts, click on the magnifying glass at the bottom of your app. Instagram will start suggesting accounts and posts similar to the ones you’ve engaged with. In other words, the more you use Instagram, the more likely you are to find your next favorite influencer.
