If you see your child covering their nose in group photos, you had better know what it means

I wouldn’t describe myself as old in the grand scheme of things, but it feels like the internet has a unique way of making me feel aged and worn.

You might be able to relate to what I’m talking about. Sometimes I find myself reading language I can barely understand, only to realize it is English, it just happens to be the hip, new slang the kids are using these days. Other times I stumble across a new movement – take ‘canceling’, for example – and wonder when and where I got left behind.

Then there’s the online trends that seem to rise and fall like a summer harvest. I’d be lying if I said I’d personally paid any of them attention in the past, but that doesn’t mean they don’t become extremely popular during their short period in the sun.

Some such trends, like the ALS ice bucket challenge, are positive drivers of charity, encouraging people to add their momentum to a force looking to make real change in the world.

Others might not be so beneficial to society as a whole. Others still are nothing short of dangerous (see the tide-pod challenge that reports insist was a ‘thing’ in 2018) .

Well, hold onto your hats, because there’s apparently a new trend on the rise, and it involves mostly young people and group photos.

Dubbed ‘nose covering’, the trend is pretty much as advertised, with people using their hand to cover their noses – and as a result a large portion of their face along with it – so as to not appear in photos even when they’re in them.

Strange? Yep, I think so too, but that doesn’t make it any less real.

Reportedly, the trend had left some internet users pondering over the possibility that people were sending some sort of secret signal to one another, but the explanation is rather simpler.

British parenting expert Amanda Jenner, being interviewed by Fabulous, said: “Using covers is the only way they can remove themselves without actually upsetting their parents by refusing to be in the photo.

“We as parents want and insist on capturing the moment but to a teenager this is a big deal. Teenagers go through a period of not embracing their appearance, i.e. could be spots, braces, or they just have a time in their lives where they have no self confidence.”

Jenner added that ‘nose covering’ might be especially important for those youngsters afraid of their image being shared online by peers.

“Their peers can often share the photo and make fun of it which is very harmful to their confidence also resulting in harmful comments which can lead onto other issues,” she said.

The expert went on to tell parents who might be seeing their children engaging in the practice: “Remember that this phase is a normal part of growing up, where seeking independence and establishing personal boundaries are key developmental milestones.”

Have you seen any children covering their noses in photos? Let us know in the comments box.