Is the bikini bridge the new thigh gap?

UGH, we certainly hope not. As if people needed another reason to feel inferior, the internet has come up with a new way to make you hate your body.

It's one part gravity, one part skinniness, all parts completely dep...

AS IF the internet wasn't already replete with fat-shaming, body-hating sensations, 2014 has kicked off with a new fad to make you wish you were skinnier.

The bikini bridge occurs when a woman lies on her back and her pelvis protrudes in such a way that the waistband of her bikini bottoms lifts up from her lower abdomen.

It's one part gravity, one part skinniness, and completely unnecessary as a trending thing on the internet.

#Retweet if youre not ashamed of your #bikinibridge! #Healthy #Sexy #Proud

— BikiniBridge (@bikinibridge14) January 7, 2014

Ninguém vai #RT minha foto? #bikinibridge #ferias #skinny4xmas pic.twitter.com/b54JVtFety

— Lala - Gata TimBeta (@1gatalala) January 7, 2014

It recalls the deplorable thigh gap that captivated social media last year.

In case you forgot, the thigh gap (or box gap) is the fitspo fad that demands legs so skinny that they don't meet at the top, and you're left with a gap where your thighs would usually touch.

That was rightly smacked down as a ridiculous yardstick for female beauty. Among the most outspoken detractors was the Aussie model Robyn Lawley, who said the trend was just another "tool of manipulation" that kept women from loving their bodies.

Right on, Robyn.

Working on my #bikinibridge in Australia! pic.twitter.com/J74nbjZ3P6

— Jenna Rustles (@RustlesJenna) January 7, 2014

The bikini bridge is in the same canon. But its popularity is already being outed as a hoax.

Members of the internet community 4chan spammed social media with #bikinibridge images so it falsely appeared to be more prominent than it really is.

Hoax or not, commentators have rightly pointed out it's a dangerous image to put in front of impressionable young women.

@melissadahl Awful! Trouble is, hoax or not - putting the phrase into common use is damaging b/c most who read won't know that.

— Katie Lowe (@fatgirlphd) January 7, 2014

What do you think? Comment below or continue the conversation on Twitter @danielstrudwick | @newscomauHQ