If anyone ever sees a man on my story, it’s a paid post: this cheeky line under British writer Chanté Joseph’s Instagram post with 24.8k forwards sums up Gen Z’s overall mood. Over the past few weeks, jokes about women being ‘embarrassed to have a boyfriend’ have evolved into a full-blown cultural moment. Are you still soft-launching your partner? It may be embarrassing to have a boyfriend now. (Photo: Adobe Stock) The trend allegedly began with singer-songwriter Lily Allen’s latest studio album, West End Girl. Detailing her split from actor David Harbour, the record’s unapologetic tone has inspired what fans are calling the “Lily Allen winter”: a season of self-focus, friendship, and freedom from performative coupledom. Joseph’s post was flooded with comments from women saying they no longer post their partners online. Some wanted privacy; others joked that deleting breakup photos was “too much effort”. One user summed up the vibe: “Having a boyfriend seems like a subtle co-sign of men conceptually and politically, which definitely results in immediate aura loss.” From boyfriend effect to …