LONDON — If you follow parents with teenage children on social media, you might have noticed this latest photo trend: The "nose cover".

The move appears to have been brought to wider public attention by 15-year-old Venezuela Fury, the daughter of British professional boxer and world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

In recent photos posted by her mother Paris, Venezuela and her cousin Valentino, 14, can be seen covering their faces — or noses — with their hands.

The "nose cover" topic has been trending across various social media platforms with over 3,200 total engagements in the past week. 

For a period, parents wondered if it was a secret sign or something to be concerned about. But parenting experts have now put the debate to rest, British tabloid The Sun reported last Thursday (Jan 11) in its Fabulous lifestyle magazine. 

It seems Gen Zers are adopting the "nose cover" trend in family photos as a subtle way to protect their privacy in the age of social media.

As Amanda Jenner, founder of toilet training brand My Carry Potter, explained: "Teenagers go through a period of not embracing their appearance... (it) could be spots, braces, or they just have a time in their lives where they have no self-confidence."

Covering their faces simply allows them to "remove themselves without actually upsetting their parents by refusing to be in the photo", she said.

The mother of a 13-year-old British boy, Michelle Harris, confirmed: "It's something I see my teen and his mates doing every day."

HOW DID THE 'NOSE COVER' COME ABOUT?

Concerned about her son constantly employing the "nose cover" in family photos, Ms Harris finally questioned him during Christmas last year.

"Are you being bullied?" she recalled asking him.

Surprising her, he laughed: "No, but I will be if you post pictures of me online without my consent!"

She then learnt that it is common amongst his peers to "find and share the most embarrassing family photos of each other" so they can "roast" or mock each other in their group chats.

Ms Jenner agreed, stating: "To have pictures across social channels which parents have taken and maybe not perfected... can really affect teenagers.

"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. It's very sad that we can't share and be proud of family photos but unfortunately this is the way it is today."

Founder of the Carol motherhood app Holly Zoccolan added: "Teenagers withdrawing their consent to appear in family photos reflects their growing desire for privacy and control over their personal image.

"As they develop their own identity, teenagers often become more self-conscious and sensitive about how they are perceived, especially on social media where these photos might be shared."

Responses on social media were divided, with some netizens slamming the teens as "weak" and "ridiculous".

One parent on X (formerly Twitter) scoffed: "My kids wouldn't get away with that."

Another agreed: "Ridiculous. Your parents are the only ones who love you unconditionally and you can't just let them take a family picture where they can see your face?"

But many felt their actions were reasonable considering the "terminally online" environment young people nowadays are subjected to, as well as "social media-crazy parents" who often freely share photos of their children online.

"They are kids whose pictures have been online since day one," wrote a sympathetic parent on X. "I don't blame them. It's the reason why there are only, like, two pictures of my sons online."

"Parents taking and posting pictures of their children in public forums has become way tooooo normalised," commented another. "(The teenagers) should do this."

Some were especially concerned about the advent of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfake technology, which can be used to realistically replace people's faces in an image or video and is most commonly used in pornographic material.

One older sibling also shared: "(It's) literally because of anxiety... My sister does this and it's because she doesn't want to show her face. Really sad but it's the reality of what social media is doing to kids."

WHAT CAN PARENTS DO?

For those concerned about the younger generation, Ms Jenner pointed out: "It’s important to remember that this phase is a normal part of growing up, where seeking independence and establishing personal boundaries are key developmental milestones."

Likewise, several online users shared similar stories of age-typical teenage insecurity and coming up with creative ways to cover their faces in photos.

For them, this trend seemed to have come full circle, with some remembering doing the same pose while they were in their teenage years in the early 2010s. 

"I remember this being a thing ten years ago," said one X user. "Time is a flat circle." 

Another claimed that people have been doing this for privacy in Japan since the late 1990s or even earlier.

On TikTok, the #coveryournose hashtag currently has over 1.2 million views, with some users posting videos of filters or "pose ideas" to cover one's nose when taking pictures.

As a parent, Ms Harris proposed: "Perhaps we should be asking for our teenagers for their consent and making negotiations about what we can and can't post."

"After all, I wouldn't feel comfortable about a spotty photo of me being shared online either. Would you?"