'We've pushed them too far': New trend shows teens covering their noses for very real reason

"My kid has done it to me a few times... While it crushes a mum's heart to not have a perfect photo of her family, I think the kids are right."

If your tween or teen hasn't deleted you from their social media account, how do you even know you're a parent?

My kid has done it to me a few times, for the simple reason that I may comment (anything) on one of his posts. How very dare I reveal to his friends that he has a mum.

Deleting me from his account also serves another purpose - I can't tag him in family photos. That's important in 2024 - because the kids are rebelling against their parents posting their photos online without their consent.

But as us proud parentals continue to want to capture and share moments, the kids have come up with a solution: ruin the photo in the first place.

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this. 

Nose covering now officially has a name. Image: Nama Winston

RELATED: Woman with unfortunate name gives warning to parents

What is "nose covering"?

If you're having your photo taken against your will - not only because posing for one is a super-boring thing to do when you're too cool for school - but also because it will likely be posted online at some point by a lame relative - the best thing to do is quietly rebel.

The teens and tweens these days know a verbal or physical refusal is likely a losing battle. I mean, why crush your mum's dreams on Christmas morning by locking yourself in the bathroom to avoid a happy snap? It is not worth the drama, man.

Instead, delay her heartbreak until she sees the photo, and get back at her for making you do something, with a silent protest - like covering your nose so you're not identifiable.

My son did this to me one Christmas. Fine, I was wearing a ridiculous Santa mask, dressed in leopard print overalls and being nothing like the grown-up middle-aged mum I am. So I didn't make it easy for him to enjoy the experience.

At first, I thought he was merely giving me the finger; but I later realised that the act of covering his face with his cap was to protect his identity. (I know most people would do the same thing in the circumstances, admittedly.)

In 2024 this act has become a real trend, called "nose covering", and it's all over the internet.

The nose cover is now viral news

Last week, nose covering made headlines when British mum and influencer Paris Fury posted a family photo of her niece's birthday celebrations to her Instagram stories.

In the pic we see her niece Valentino, and her eldest daughter Venezuela, hide their faces behind their hands with the nose cover. Because of Paris' 1.8 million followers, and high-profile status, the photo - and nose covering - went viral.

Many opined that it was selfish of the girls to ruin the moment. I get that; I certainly treasure the memories created in photos with my family, and as a mum, it's amazing to see how my son has grown up.

But Gen Zs are smarter than us when it comes to the interwebs, and I think they just may have a point.

Image: Paris Fury and The New York Post.

RELATED: This is what AI thinks a stay-at-home mum looks like in 2024

The (annoying) kids have rights

While it crushes a mum's heart to not have a perfect photo of her family, I think the kids are right - and they have rights. 

Maybe we wanted to do it when we were forced to pose as kids, but let's be honest, the stakes were much lower back then. The absolute worst that could happen is that your dad kept the photo in his wallet, or it was sent out to relatives on the family holiday card.

There was very little risk of your friends seeing it, or of a digital footprint in your name being created for all eternity. 

So maybe this generation are stuck between the very real issue of online consent and keeping their folks happy. And nose covering, whilst it may seem juvenile, is the most effective way to do that.

Good on you, Gen Z. And RIP the entire point of Facebook.

Originally published as 'We've pushed them too far': New trend shows teens covering their noses for very real reason