I’m probably being a prude but…

[Username73638]

…what is the deal with teenage girls running around basically naked these days?

Last week, I was driving down the road near a secondary school at letting out time and I must have seen about 5 girls’ actual bum cheeks as they were leaving school. Like, we all rolled our skirts up fairly short at school, but this was actually full knickers and bums on display… one girl was wearing a thong so it was just her whole bum on show.

Then, I was on the beach today (we live near the sea) with my two primary school aged sons and there were a group of maybe 13-14 year old girls, they were very young, more than half of whom were in thong bikinis. They spent most of the time on the beach doing a photoshoot, predominantly photos of them from behind looking out to sea, presumably for social media?!

I know teenagers have always been teenagers, but I’m pretty sure underage girls weren’t wearing thong bikinis on the beach when I was that age 😳

I could see other families on the beach felt uncomfortable with it too.

Do their parents know? Is this just how teenagers dress these days?

‘Similar’

💯 and the folks saying ‘oh well we pushed boundaries in my day too’ really don’t seem to be getting that in terms of social trends/media/peer pressure we are in the absolute Wild West right now. AI, far-right populist bs, the enormity of how much of the enshittification of current media caters exclusively to male sexual and power fantasy,

I’ve noticed this too and it’s deplorable.

I get it and have a daughter no far off that age. 🫤 I think generally everyone should wear what they like within reason

We were on a family holiday this week. We were at a park where there was a lazy river - where you float around on top of an inflatable ring.

You couldn’t get around it - total gridlock with everyone squished together. Why?

Young teenage girls wearing teeny tiny thong bikinis lying spreadeagled and ass up on top of their inflatable sunbathing as they sunbathed while floating around the lazy river.

Not to be crude it was very weird that you practically had to avert your gaze as you could easily have been looking right at their assh**e. I’ve never seen mine and I don’t want to look at a strangers on a day trip. I noticed several men with their kids looking very bewildered

Agree. My neice is very attractive and popular and never displays her actual arse cheeks. It's not just a trend that girls need to follow.

Short, fair enough. If I can see your bum or your labia, inappropriate.

I was out for dinner tonight. There was a girl (age could have been 17-25, that sort of range) wearing shorts so short her bum and the beginnings of her labia were visible. Put me right off my food. Genuinely.

💯

I find it confusing more than anything else.

I seriously doubt that it's a comfort issue, as the clothing rarely looks comfortable.

And then I think it goes without saying that no girl or woman wants a completely random boy or man looking at them and becoming sexually aroused.

So what's the purpose of wearing revealing clothing? Can someone enlighten me please?

It’s a very concerning trend. I wish these girls had more respect for themselves.

It's not a comfort issue

It's not fashion

It's the patriarchy.

@TheMel was right until she suddenly decided it was young women's job to remove temptation.

The logical conclusion to her analysis is that, because men have biologically primed sexual desire for young women and* crucially * have much more social and economic power than women, they have adjusted society so that there is pressure on young women to display more flesh.

Women can't be smart, independent and have agency as well as being brainwashed by the patriarchy to bare their arse. Sorry it can't work both ways.

Totally agree

I don't want to see bums in the beach. Put it away

I do get what you are saying OP, but my main reaction is I'm kinda pleased for them that they are feeling happy and confident in themselves. There also seems to be a lot more body positivity now and more people have an "acceptable" body, which I think is just great.

I mostly hid my lovely body away at that age, believing I was white and fat and couldn't keep on top of body hair. I was absolutely gorgeous, but early 2000s body culture had me believe otherwise.

Why can’t it work both ways? There are lots of ways in which people can have agency in one way and yet be trapped or constrained by social expectations in another.

Agree, but flashing your butt cheeks isn't part of that. Don't play dumb.

This wasn't even the beach, girls after school in their uniforms 😐

I think you’re playing dumb if you think young women can’t be both independent and also think they have to follow fashions at the same time. We are all susceptible to social pressures no matter how “independent” we are.

I’m not pro the butt cheeks, to be clear; but I think it’s on us to make sure that girls too young to realise how social pressures work aren’t dressed to titillate men without really understanding what they’re doing.

It's really not as it's only some girls (most likely with the useless/lazy parents) will do this

I didn’t say they were smart, independent and have agency.

That, along with the idea that sex work is empowering, is another way that the patriarchy co-opts feminism. You go girl, you are bossing it! Etc.

Women are smart, independent and have agency precisely to the degree that they can see through this gaslighting.

I don't understand it myself.

If we had a picture of one of these 14 year olds, in these outfits, in a men's magazine it would be illegal.

But apparently it's not sexual at all when they are just out and about. Or if it is, it's just fine.

Do you not know any men?

I fully admit that I’ve become a complete prude and very protective when it comes to teenagers.

We live in an area with a lot of schools and the kids do cross country through the park, along paths, etc. Most of the boys run topless and I regularly see middle-aged men (and some women) staring at them…I want to punch them! The girls tend to wear T-shirts, I’m sure they get as much attention if they just wore sports bras.

I know that I’m ridiculous but I so want to tell the boys to put tops on. I hate the way they’re leered at.

I'm 55, I have no desire whatsoever to be 'cool' 🙄🙄 & no idea why you'd think that - weird.

Yes, they're children, they have bum cheeks, so what?

Stop twisting what I said to fit your sleezy narrative.

I didn't say they should be showing their bodies! I said I'd rather they felt comfortable enough in themselves to go so, rather than have body issues as many do.

They are childrens bum cheeks, so what? They're just bums.

That's the issue, they're children's bum cheeks being sexualised. What isn't wrong with that? 🤨