Instagram’s decision to require most of its U.S. employees to return to the office full-time starting in February 2026 reinforces a broader move among Big Tech companies to roll back remote work. 

The shift—championed by Instagram head Adam Mosseri as essential for restoring creativity, speed and collaboration—mirrors a trend already seen at Amazon, Google, Apple and Microsoft, all of which have tightened attendance policies after years of flexibility. 

A study published by The New York Times, conducted by economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the University of Virginia and Harvard, shows that younger workers were the ones who lost the most from remote work: they received less training, had fewer opportunities for advancement and faced higher unemployment risk. 

Between 2022 and 2024, these employees also went to the office more often than older colleagues, trying to compensate for the lack of exposure and mentorship. 

Interviews collected by the NYT illustrate this dilemma. Young professionals who launched their careers from home reported isolation, difficulty asking for help, fear of being forgotten by leadership and a sense that important decisions happened off-screen. While many still prefer the flexibility of working from home, some have voluntarily returned to the office in recent years in search of guidance and visibility—key factors for promotions and career acceleration.