Provocative photos, filters and selfies are all part of the latest social media trend - called thirst trapping.
This is when someone posts an alluring photo of themself with a flirty caption to get compliments.
Although this trend is making a big splash online, not everyone is a fan of the word “thirsty.”
“It's saying that that person needs attention, needs the likes. I think a lot of people who are being labelled as ‘thirst trappers’ are actually just posting what they're feeling in the moment or just because they're proud of some progress they've made with their body or that they don't need to be ashamed of their body,” said Maygen Kardash, a Saskatoon blogger and stay at home mom.
Kardash has a four-year-old daughter and an 18-month-old son. This trend may not be around when her kids are older, but she said she knows social media will play a big role in their lives.
“Anything that puts pressure on kids to crave outside validation inside of coming from inside themselves, that does worry me as a mom.”
I'm hopeful that I'm raising kids that are confident and don't need outside validation. I'm just going to be monitoring and keeping the conversation open and hoping that they are both comfortable in their own bodies.”
Brooke Nistor, a Saskatoon social media influencer and the CEO of Premier Staffing Agency, does thirst trapping for some of her brand deals.
She said some companies give her guidelines on how to pose and what to wear.
Nistor said thirst trapping is most commonly used in ads for bathing suits and cologne.
“We see it with big labels like Guess. They use good looking people – or what our world sees as attractive – to market their brands or their products.”
Nistor said the trend can help boost engagement on social media.
“People do it and influencers do it to gain likes, followers, more views on their posts and that inhibits brand ambassador deals, paid posts and all that kind of stuff.”
Not everyone posts thirst trap photos intentionally. What may seem like a harmless beach selfie could be viewed by some as flirty.
Kardash doesn’t see thirst trapping as positive, but she thinks some people have good reasons for doing it.
“People need to be confident in their bodies and as long as it stems from a place of that then I am okay with it.”
