‘Nose cover’ trend young people are doing in family photos has finally been explained

There's a new trend on the block

The latest trend of 'nose covering' has left parents baffled as their kids are covering their faces with their hands in pictures.

'Nose cover' is for good reason

Michelle Harris, who is a mum herself, explained the trend to Fabulous.

"After several attempts to snatch the perfect Christmas family photo, I turned to my teen and finally asked him why," she began to explain.

“'Is everything okay, why won’t you show up in family photos for the handsome boy that you are anymore?'

"And then the big whopper…. 'Are you being bullied?'

"To my surprise he turned to me and laughed saying: 'No, but I will be if you post pictures of me online without my consent!'"

She continued: "He went on to explain how the ‘nose cover’ is just a signal to their peers that they won’t be caught ‘slipping’ which we eventually translated to meaning ‘off guard.’

"So essentially the ‘nose cover’ for most is just a way to avoid being a target for ridicule in their digital spaces with friends."

Founders of the Carol app, Holly Zoccolan and Amanda Jenner, further explained the trend.

"Using covers is the only way they can remove themselves without actually upsetting their parents by refusing to be in the photo," Jenner said.

"The online world is a very hard thing for teenagers to tackle as we all know. But to have pictures across social channels which parents have taken and maybe not perfected this can really affect teenagers."

She added:  "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."

In this modern world, it's understandable that teens are increasingly conscious of their digital footprint, so fair play on them for taking responsibility for their image at such a young age.

Still, our hearts go out to all those parents who just want to get a nice family photo where you can see everyone's faces.