From isolation to “trend”: how the social climate around gender has changed
People who felt a strong, persistent discomfort with their sex a decade or more ago usually met only silence or outright denial. One detransitioned man remembers being “the only person of my kind among everyone I knew… I grew up gas-lit and ignored, adults not believing me at all.” “I was part of the old wave of trans, where I was isolated and on the fringe… where I faced intense resistance to my condition.” – HazyInBlue source [citation:ae9a0687-25c2-4ac0-b23f-8c574c72265a]
Today, the same feelings are welcomed with instant online communities, new slang, and celebration. Because the experience is now “very social… as an identity, as a fashion, as a culture,” the same user concludes that “the social aspect is a major reason it’s become a trend.” The contrast could hardly be sharper: yesterday’s secrecy versus today’s peer groups that reward any departure from “cis” labels.

Gender non-conformity re-branded as a new label instead of freedom
Many young people who simply dislike the boxes of “girl” or “boy” now feel pressured to adopt a different gender label rather than question why the boxes exist. A detransitioned woman who attended art college noticed “half of my artist friends later became non-binary or trans. Non-binary is essentially gender being aesthetically explored… but has become its own sort of redundant conformity.” “It was non-conformist and avant-garde, but… it’s hardly being ‘different’ anymore.” – Inner_Elderberry457 source [citation:18fa82ed-8179-4b85-904c-f6f0486b3423]
In other words, the culture ends up reinforcing the very stereotypes it claims to dismantle: if you don’t fit the “girl” mould you must be “non-binary,” instead of a girl who simply rejects the mould.

Adolescent identity-seeking meets social reward
Teenagers have always experimented with styles—goth, emo, scene—to find belonging. Several posters see the same pattern now: “It’s like how emo/scene got big in the 2000s… teen girls flocked to it when they felt like outcasts.” – spamcentral source [citation:0af7e817-35a7-49ce-be12-0beb70391242]
Coming out online brings immediate praise (“love-bombed”), so even straight, non-dysphoric kids claim queer identities to feel special. Once the label delivers friends, likes, and a sense of purpose, it is easy to believe the label is true, even when the underlying feelings are ordinary discomfort with sexist expectations.

Old gate-keeping versus new open doors—and the confusion it creates
Earlier generations faced strict psychological screening; today, self-declaration and peer encouragement move many young people straight toward medical steps. A long-time trans man watches “young folk… beginning to come to terms with the fact that they are actually their bio gender” after chasing what felt fashionable. “Around 2016/17 being trans became like some sort of trendy fashion statement… It’s unfortunate, truly.” – Slugbums source [citation:0567e21c-c686-4a3a-98a5-728c2af21eb1]
When the same symptoms that once led to therapy, self-reflection, or simple gender non-conformity now lead to hormones, some discover too late that their distress had other roots—trauma, homophobia, or plain teenage uncertainty.

Conclusion
The surge in trans and non-binary identification is less a sudden bloom of hidden dysphoria than a cultural shift that turns ordinary rebellion against gender stereotypes into a named, celebrated identity. If you feel uneasy with the roles attached to your body, know that countless others have felt the same without ever needing hormones or new pronouns. Exploring why the rules feel wrong, building real-life friendships, and working with a therapist who accepts gender non-conformity can ease distress while keeping your healthy body intact. Your personality, style, and talents already make you unique; you don’t need a new label to prove it.