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French parents may be banned from sharing photos of their kids online. Should every country do it?

Has “sharenting” gone too far?

france, sharenting, kids social media
via Pexels

A mom takes a selfie with her two children.

France’s National Assembly has passed a new law that could seriously impact parents’ ability to share photos of their children online. If passed by the Senate and signed by the president, it would give courts the power to ban parents from posting pictures of their children online.

The bill is controversial because it takes away parents’ rights and puts them in the hands of the government. But supporters believe there are more than a few good reasons for the potential ban.

First, it keeps the child’s image out of the hands of unsavory characters. Member of Parliament Bruno Studer, who proposed the bill, told Le Monde, “'A 13-year-old child has an average of 1,300 images of themselves circulating on the internet. These are photos that can be misused for child pornography or that can lead to bullying in the school environment.”

According to Le Monde, 50% of all imagery of children shared on child pornography forums was first posted online by the child’s parents. The bill would also give both parents the right to the child’s image, so if one parent thinks the other is posting inappropriate images, they have the right to stop it.

"The first two articles aim to establish the protection of privacy as one of the responsibilities of parents as holders of parental authority, for which they must obviously involve the child,” Struder continued. "In the most extreme cases, it is provided that the family judge may, if necessary, make a forced partial delegation of parental authority for the specific case of an exercise of image rights."

Opponents of the bill believe that the legislation would strike a blow to parents’ rights. But doesn’t a child have a right to choose how their image is used, especially in a world where the photos could remain visible for the foreseeable future? As the old saying goes, online is forever and photos taken of someone as a child could follow them around well into adulthood.

Further, as the first generation of children who grew up in influencer families are becoming adults, we’re starting to realize the damage the lifestyle can have on young people. Aren’t these kids entitled to some protection from being exploited by their parents?

"We talk a lot about image rights, but not about children's dignity," Thomas Rohmer, Director and founder of l’Observatoire de la Parentalité et de l’Education Numérique, told Le Monde.

The bill has struck up a much-needed debate online and some parents are adamant that it’s their business what they do with photos of their children and no one else’s.

Others joked that bills like this would help end the annoying “sharenting” trend.

Some applaud the idea.

The debate is interesting because it involves three rightfully interested parties—parents, their children, and a state entrusted to protect children's rights. Whether or not the law is passed, the debate should serve as a way for people to confront this serious idea and to give parents a reason to think twice before posting photos of their children online.

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Married couple says the '3-Hour Night' hack has totally improved their marriage

“It's been so fun and such...a game changer for how our evenings go.”

@racheleehiggins/TikTok

Want out of a relationship rut? The Three hour night might be the perfect solution.

Almost every long term relationship suffers from a rut eventually. That goes especially for married partners who become parents and have the added responsibility of raising kids. Maintaining a connection is hard enough in this busy, fast-paced world. Top it off with making sure kids are awake, dressed, entertained, well fed, oh yeah, and alive…and you best believe all you have energy for at the end of the day is sitting on the couch barely making it through one episode of your favorite show on Netflix.

And yet, we know how important it is to maintain a connection with our spouses. Many of us just don’t know how to make that happen while juggling a million other things. According to one mom, a “three-hour night” could be just the thing to tick off multiple boxes on the to-do list while rekindling romance at the same time. Talk about the ultimate marriage hack.

bored, couple, marriage hack, man ywaning, concerned woman A couple that has lost their spark.via Canva/Photos

What is the 3-Hour Night marriage hack?

The three-hour night was something that Rachel Higgins and her husband began incorporating into their lives at the beginning of 2024. And so far, “it's been so fun and such...a game changer for how our evenings go,” she says in a clip posted to TikTok.

Before using the three-hour night, the evening would look a bit like this: their daughter would go to bed, they would lounge on the couch, scroll through social media, then fall asleep. Sound familiar?

But with a three-hour night, Higgins and her husband divvy up the time before bed into three sections, each for a different focus.In the first hour, starting around 7 p.m., is what Higgins calls “productive time,” during which the couple sees to any household chores that might need to be done.

“So, start with like a quick cleanup of the kitchen or just like things that accumulated throughout the day, and then we try to do something that either ... has been being put off or cleaning the bathroom or like organizing the pantry or hall closet or something like, super random like sharpening the knives. Anything that's productive for the household,” she explains.


@rachelleehiggins

if you’re stuck in a rut with your evenings try this! i saw someone do something similar to this a while ago but can’t remember who! #marriage #1sttimeparents #newyearsgoals

Next, the second hour is geared towards re-establishing a physical or emotional connection in their marriage. The phones go away, and they focus only on enjoying one another.

“So, that could be things like showering together or ‘having fun’ together, playing a game together, or just like anything that's gonna get you guys talking and connecting or like debriefing from the day or just like talking about what you're doing and like the plans for tomorrow or like how work's going or whatever. So, anything that's gonna connect and strengthen and build your marriage,” Higgins says.

Lastly, the final hour of the night is dedicated to anything Higgins and her husband individually want to do, any sort of personal recharge activity. Since this is a judgment-free time, Higgins states that “If you just want to lie on the couch and scroll your phone and watch TikToks or whatever, like watch YouTube videos,” it’s totally acceptable.

happy coupe, couple in bed, young married couple, man with beard, smiling woman A happy couple in bed.via Canva/Photos

Higgins’ novel approach definitely interested viewers, who chimed in with their own questions. One major concern was how the heck this could be done every night. But even Higgins admits that she and her husband don’t succeed at having a three-hour night every night—they usually try for about 3-4 times a week. And honestly, even once a week could still probably be beneficial in building intimacy.

"Such a good idea. Good for us empty nesters too! The phone scrolling is outta control!"one commenter wrote. "This is really cool. The housework is equal. The emotional connection is equal and the self care is equal. No room for resentment," another added. "We don’t have kids yet but I love this and want to do it because the nights slip away so fast!!" a commenter added.

Others wondered how to have a three-hour night when things randomly popped up in their schedule, like when kids won’t magically go to sleep promptly at 7pm. Higgins shares that in these cases, they tend to just shorten each phase. The point being: these can and probably should be customizable, even fun, rather than yet another rigid chore.

Plus, a three-hour night (or whatever your version of a three-hour night may be) is a great way to remind yourself just how high a priority your relationship has in your life, no matter what else is going on at the time. Odds are you'll probably find you do have more time for it than you previously thought.

This article originally appeared last year.

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Education

American living abroad has perfect response to a woman claiming Europe 'is not First World'

Why are we judging other countries based on American luxuries?

via Canva/Photos

A woman in front of the Roman Coliseum.

A woman’s hot take on why some places in Europe should not be considered First World has received some pretty harsh clapback from an American living abroad. The American thinks her opinion is short-sighted and that she’s guilty of viewing other countries through a very American lens.

It all began when a TikToker named @BulletProofBaily, a personal safety expert, posted a “hot take” on why, even though she loves Italy, “a lot of countries that are considered first world in Europe, especially Western Europe, should not be considered First-World countries.” She adds that when she recently visited the Italian countryside, it was hard to find “luxury” conveniences such as bathtubs, air conditioning, or dishwashers.

What is a First-World country?

It’s worth noting that the term "First World" is an older characterization that described geopolitical alignment during the Cold War, and the modern characterizations include "Developed" (or high-income countries), "Developing" (middle-to-low income countries), and "Least Developed" countries that have the lowest level of socioeconomic development. Historically, Italy and America have both been seen as First World and Developed nations.

Baily’s video caught the attention of @WhereInTheWorldisNina, a TikToker who uses her platform to teach Americans how to live and work abroad.

@whereintheworldisnina

No country is perfect and each one has its strengths and flaws. But having some simple “American luxuries” is not what defines a “first world country” aka developed country (the more appropriate term). Stitch with @Bailey #usa #Europe #livingabroad #eurotrip

“Okay, so First World to you means having AC and a dishwasher, that's a new one. You can buy these things for your house if you'd like. They are available in Italy, just a lot of people maybe don't choose to implement them in their house, she said. “Also, we use stats regarding the quality of life to kind of judge whether or not a place is first world or not, just what appliances and luxuries do you have in your home.”

Does America have healthcare deserts?

Bailey also criticized the Italian countryside for having hospitals that were more than 20 minutes away. Nina responded by noting that the same thing exists in America, where there are medical deserts. A recent report found that 81% of U.S. counties, home to over 120 million Americans, are healthcare deserts that lack the infrastructure and services to ensure timely access to medicine and care.

In another very American-centric criticism, Bailey noted that she wouldn’t be able to drive her massive Ford F-150 truck through the streets of Italy because it would be too big. “What I got into my big American F-150 when we got back from the airport, and I'm like this before wouldn't even fit on the street,” Bailey said in her post. But Nina disagrees with the critique, noting that the streets of Italy were made for humans, not cars. “Imagine wanting a big F-150 gas guzzler over walkable cities, public transportation, being less car dependent,” Nina said.

italy, coliseum, travel, american abroad, first world country, europe The Coliseum in Rome, Italy.via Canva/Photos

Just about everyone in the comments took Nina's side in the debate. "Didn’t she CHOOSE her Airbnb? There are pictures and amenities (luxuries) listed," one commenter asked. "You get two options: a) an undeveloped country without AC and dishwashers, free healthcare, free university and more b) AC AND DISHWASHERS, involuntary target practice at school, huge medical debt, huge student loans," another added.

“Oh, you love a place, but you definitely misunderstand it,” Nina concludes her post. “It checks every box of a highly developed nation, you know, First World life expectancy, health care, infrastructure, education. Calling it not first world because your Airbnb didn't have a bathtub is crazy talk.”

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Mental Health

The CREEP method makes it easy to see if you're being played by a narcissist or manipulator

"Don't get played."

via Canva/Photos

A woman who is skeptical of her man.

If you are a psychologically healthy person, it’s easy to fall victim to a narcissist or manipulator because you’re not assuming that other people are playing games with you. You just go along to get along. But if you’re in a relationship with a manipulator, they could be playing a long game that slowly unfolds until the moment you realize that you are in an unhealthy relationship. Hopefully, that time comes sooner rather than later. Some people have relationships that last for decades before they realize they have been manipulated.

A popular TikTok user named @Mewmewsha, who refers to herself as "Older Sister," is going viral for a video where she makes it easy to understand the tactics that a manipulator or narcissist may use to control you. She presents it in an easy-to-comprehend anagram—CREEP—which outlines the stages of manipulation, and she also shares her methods for countering each stage. CREEP stands for charm, rage, envy, entitlement, and pity.

“Everyone who's ever manipulated you was following a playbook, and I'm gonna teach it to you so you can recognize when it's happening to you. Cause if you don't learn the game, you'll keep getting played,” she opens her video.

@mewmewsha

Learn the game so you stop getting played - here’s how to outsmart manipulators and covert narcissists by learning their playbook

What is the CREEP playbook used by covert narcissists and manipulators?

1. Charm

“They will act like your soulmate or best friend. They'll flatter you, mirror you, they'll use your language, they'll adopt your mannerisms, and you'll feel so seen and understood. And it is very intoxicating and very deliberate. They are building emotional leverage, they're collecting data. Charm is the bait. And once you're hooked, it only gets worse.”

Counter: “Slow down, because if it's genuine, that charm will last. But if it's fake, soon enough, when charm doesn't get them what they want, you will meet rage.”

2. Rage

“Rage can be loud, but it can also be quiet. It's not always explosive. It can be cold and cruel, stonewalling, contempt, a sudden withdrawal of love and attention. …It's designed to confuse you and guilt you and make you think you need to fix something because you wanna go back to the charming person that was just there a second ago.”

Counter: “You need to detach emotionally, give them nothing, absorb nothing. And the moment you can, you need to leave.”

3. Envy

“Narcissists hate it when you're happy, successful, and independent because it makes you harder to control. Envy will show its face in subtle sabotage. They'll be trying to undermine your achievements. They'll constantly be trying to humble you.”

Counter: Share less, move in silence. The more they know, the more they’ll sabotage you.

narcissist, manipulator, covert narcissist, self-absorbed woman, princess, blonde woman A narcissistic woman.via Canva/Photos

4. Entitlement

“Since they feel like they own you, they expect access to you, your time, and your energy always.”

Counter: Set boundaries.

5. Pity

“When all else fails, they'll act like the victim. They will use your empathy against you. They'll weaponize sadness. They'll cry. They'll act helpless and defenseless. They'll dredge up some old trauma. They will make themselves the victim so they can guilt you into compliance.”

Counter: “Be kind, not nice. Being nice puts you at risk. It makes you feel responsible and self-sacrificial. But when you are kind, it means you have compassion with boundaries.”


It’s worth noting that @mewmewsha isn’t a licensed therapist, so when it comes to mental health issues, it's best to consult a professional. However, her advice does mirror a lot of the standard wisdom surrounding narcissists and manipulators. An article reviewed by Yolanda Renteria, LPC, notes that narcissists have an abuse cycle that repeats itself: “It involves first idealizing a person, then devaluing them, repeating the cycle, and eventually discarding them when they are of no further use.”

We should also be careful not to assume that when someone we know starts acting enviously or entitled, it necessarily means they are a narcissist. It could just be part of normal behavior and emotions. We all have our bad days and personality quirks. So, the counters mentioned above are a great way to tackle everyday interactions with friends, family members, and coworkers when they take a turn for the negative. But when their behaviors start to fit the classic narcissistic and manipulative narrative, then it’s time to be concerned and to question their motivation.

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15 of the wildest things average folks have witnessed at uber-rich people events

It's a whole other world.

Fandom.com

People share the wildest things they've seen or heard at "rich people events."

So many of us love to binge the exotic, exorbitant lives of characters in shows like Succession, White Lotus, and The Gilded Age, but it’s another thing altogether to see it play out in real life.

Recently, average joes who have borne witness to people who simply have way too much money to burn (usually as their hired hands) shared some stories likely to leave you with equal parts awe and disgust. Stories of last minute jet setting for seasonal truffles, car accident “fall guys,” full-on backyard carnivals, and more.

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Jessica Walter in 'Arrested Development.' media4.giphy.com

Below are a few glimpses into just how the other half lives.

1. Truffles in Tokyo

“I was a server at a really nice restaurant and ended up working a dinner in our private room for the president of a major movie production studio's birthday…At one point in the dinner his assistant (one of three assistants sitting at the end of the long dinner table) informed him that the first truffles of the season had been delivered to some chef in Tokyo. So producer guy goes ‘Great! Anyone want to go to Tokyo this weekend for a truffle tasting?’ A couple of people said yes so he instructed the assistant to ‘make sure one of the jets is available’ for the trip. They stayed 3 hours after we closed. Bought every bottle of the same brand of wine we had in our cellar ‘for the road,’ let me taste a 1989 Chateau Haut-Brion and tipped $3600 for the lateness of their departure. Wild night.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Andrew Skarsgard in 'Succession.' media1.giphy.com

2. Hired Fall Guy for Car Accidents

“My friend had a friend who is one of those ‘Crazy Rich Asian’ type of dudes…One day, this rich dude was driving his Ferrari on the toll road. My friend was in another car following him for a car meetup event. This dude crashed his Ferrari into another car, and then stopped on the side of the road…[and] called someone. In 10 minutes there was a yellow Lamborghini. The Lambo driver went out, took the Ferrari key from the rich dude's hands, and then sat inside the crashed Ferrari. The rich dude drove the Lambo and continued the journey. Apparently the new driver will take the fall for every single crash related problem. Oh yeah, the police were there the whole time, and they didn’t bother to talk or approach the rich dude before the lambo driver came up.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Ryan Gosling in 'The Fall Guy' media0.giphy.com

3. A Yacht…Just In Case

“I once had super wealthy bosses and they were talking about their friend who owned several buildings. And who had a big yacht [that] always ready to go [with] a full complement of personnel, paid full time… It was basically a hotel at sea. The thing is, the guy rarely used it. So you had a boatload of bored people who had nothing much to do. If the guy goes to Europe, he would rather fly there -- and have the yacht head there ahead, just in case he felt like using it. Which wasn't all the time.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Leonardo DiCaprio in 'Wolf of Wall Street' media2.giphy.com

4. Two African Safaris, Please

“When we were poor our daughter went to a private preschool that was great for her disability and they accepted us at hardly any tuition in exchange for speaking at fundraising events for them on our daughters benefit from being at the school. At their big fancy yearly ball dinner we were speakers and they sat us at a donor table. We were literally stealing dinner rolls to make our Carl Buddig sandwich meat better. At the auction portion one of the ladies explained that last year she bid on and won the African safari but she didn’t have anyone to go with her so she donated it back to this years event. As that vacation came up for bid she goes ‘wait my niece loves animals and travel, I’ll take her’ and she went and bought it for he second year in a row.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Goldie Hawn in 'The First Wives Club' media3.giphy.com

5. 20K Rehearsal Dinner

“I worked a private event as a waiter, it was a rehearsal dinner. The father of the bride was telling everyone he chartered a private jet for his daughter and son in law to fly to Bali for their 6 week honeymoon, which he has also paid for. The jet was to stay there for their use for the duration of the trip in case they wanted to visit other places if they got bored. The rehearsal dinner for 20 people was about 20k.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Martin Short in 'Father of the Bride.' media3.giphy.com

6. Secret Service Wedding

“It was a ritzy wedding and someone there was a congressman. So we had secret service throughout the wedding pretending like they were guests while also not engaging with anyone to be distracted. They were like real life NPCs.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Hopefully they were paid well. media3.giphy.com

7. Losing 10K Like It's Nothing

“I was in the Peace Corps in Zambia. We used to hang out at the casino in Lusaka cause they gave you free food, drinks, and cigarettes while you played. We would play like $2 hands of blackjack just to get fed. But I went to the roulette table and some guy put down $10,000 in USD all over the table. Lost his spin, and just shrugged his shoulders and walked away…I was floored by the amount of wealth that existed right around us.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money I can't imagine even betting with $10. media3.giphy.com

8. A Family's Worth of Ferraris

“My buddy took me on a cruise with our local Ferrari club. The house we went to was owned by a member who had 8 Ferrari's in his garage… While we were there he unveiled his new car, a custom built Daytona SP3 that was all completely custom. The base price of the car is around $2.2 million so with the customizations it was closer to $3 million the way he had it. The crazy part was the story he told about it. This was supposed to be an early build number car but it was delayed. He had to ask Ferrari about why his $3 million dollar car was taking so long while he was putting in another order for a different completely custom Ferrari that is probably worth even more than that. Spending more money on 2 cars than I'll probably make in my whole life was a pretty wild story to hear while in a garage with cars that collectively are worth more than my family has made all together for a couple of generations. Really puts the wealth gap into perspective.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money You can never have too many Ferraris… media4.giphy.com

9. Friends in High Places

“The CEO of my company came down to visit our office and took all the managers out to lunch. He asked for an update on projects going on, and one person mentioned having been stuck in limbo because of the state agency not getting us the approval. He asked if anyone had tried calling the governor. After he looked around and saw a table full of blank stares, he pulled his phone out and did just that. Apparently the governor is a buddy, and the situation was resolved the next day.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money A still from 'Home Economics.' media1.giphy.com

10. Night At The Museum

“I was invited to a corporate party in NYC. The party was at the Museum of Modern Art. They rented the museum for the evening. There was a caviar table you could go to and get as much caviar as you wanted. I was told that the caviar cost $5,000."

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Doesn't sound like a bad night, honestly. media1.giphy.com

11. 24/7 Butler

“I was hired to be a photographer at a wedding. They had rented the venue at a very expensive vineyard. There was a mansion there and as part of the deal the bridal party got to stay at the mansion. The owner is almost never actually there. He lives in a big White House, if you know what I mean. I show up early the morning of the wedding and I’m greeted by the butler…He said it’s shift work, that there are basically three of them…and it’s 8 hour shifts. So I [asked] ‘if I showed up at 2am in January one of you would be here, all alone in the mansion, just knocking around on the odd chance the big guy shows up?’ And he was like ‘yeah, someone’s always here.’ That just kinda blew my mind. Can you imagine just being the dude who sits alone in someone else’s mansion polishing the silver waiting to see if they show up?”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money You never know when someone might visit your mansion. media1.giphy.com

12. Throwing Away Perfectly Good Fillet

“Not at an event, but at my then 9yr old son's friend's house. They were VERY wealthy, and it was the Dads birthday dinner. They were having fillet steak, seafood etc. Their two sons were disgusted that hey were having fillet steak-AGAIN. And one threw his away, and the other huffed off to his room and demanded his Dad (whos birthday it was) take him to get a pizza. Dad actually DID! And my macaroni eating kid sat there scarfing his steak and witnessing the majesty of life.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Who throws away fillet? media0.giphy.com

13. Racing Porsches

“I attended a rich person dinner in Bel Air… I began to make small talk with the guy seated next to me. We started talking about traveling, and he said his friend recently ‘raced with the Porsches in Germany.’ I looked at him, and said ‘oh, you mean he raced Porsches in Germany, that's great.’ He looked at me confused and said ’"no, he raced with the Porsche family’ and rattled off a couple names of the Porsche heirs that apparently they were friendly with.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Barry Keoghan in 'Saltburn.' media1.giphy.com

14. Owning Politicians

“I was at a political fundraising dinner around 20 years ago. There were many affluent rich people there but only one billionaire. At one point I naively asked him why he didn’t run for office. He laughed and looked me directly in they eyes and said, ‘son, why would I be a politician when I can own one?’”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Paul Giamatti in 'Billions.' media4.giphy.com

15. Backyard Carnival…For a 4-Year-Old

“My dad cooked a small dinner at a very privately wealthy family's house, in which Dick Cheney was a guest and they flew in Elton John to play piano for the night. That same family put on a birthday party for their 4 year old granddaughter, who wanted “a carnival” for her birthday, so they invited all of the country club staff's families to ‘make the place look alive.’ Free carnival rides and food all day and night. In their backyard.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money An image of a carnival media2.giphy.com

Of course, what also makes many of our beloved rich-centric shows so watchable is the fact that these characters, even with their excessive wealth, cannot escape grief, loss, or retribution for their wrongdoings. I'm not to say that any of the wealthy folks from these stories should face comeuppance simply for having what many others want, but it’s no secret that the working class sees this stark contrast more and more each day, and will not stop calling for more equality in one way or another.

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Millennials hilariously dissect why they made 'duckface' a thing in early 2000s photos

"We thought we were so cute."

Image via Canva

Millennials discuss why they started doing 'duckface' pose in photos.

Millennials are fully claiming responsibility for the emergence of the "duckface" pose in photos. Duckface, best described as the pose popularized back in the 2000s that saw everyone sucking in their lips and then pushing them out in a pout (like a duck's beak) somehow became the go-to pose when taking pictures. And now, Millennials are trying to figure out how (and why) they made it a thing.

On a Reddit forum of Millennials, member AdSpecialist6598 shared: "Going through some old photos I had forgotten how many of the girls did duckface. It is crazy how often it happened and why was it ever a thing?"

The prompt got Millennials reminiscing about their days serving duckface--and contemplating why they did it in the first place. Here are 19 hilarious responses from Millennials dissecting the 'duckface' trend, and why it remains a go-to pose today.

zoolander, duck face, duck face pose, blue steel, zoolander gif Zoolander Blue Steel GIF Giphy

"It's a quick way to make your cheekbones look sharper and your face slimmer It's been used in modeling years before it became an online phenomenon, there's a reason they made fun of it in Zoolander. It just wasn't known as duckface at the time. When done subtly it can look nice." —yosayoran

"Still happening but with copious amounts lip filler so less effort from the duck is needed." - Pristine_Charity4435

"I think a lot of the time, making a dumb or a silly face in a picture on purpose prevents looking dumb or silly on accident. It's like a preemptive defense against hurting your own feelings lol." —boinkbeepboop

duckface, duckface gif, duckface pose, duckface pic, peace sign victorias secret kiss GIF Giphy

"YES! People who weren’t part of this generation always miss this. We are the ultimate irony generation and while lots of people did this earnestly, there was this pressure to not take yourself too seriously online because it would have been seen as cringey." —ferriswheel41

"Especially since millennials were the first generation to have cameras in our hands 24/7 with an immediate way to publicly view/share photos! It's a lot easier to take one goofy photo than it is to take 100 photos trying to look a certain way, and then staring until they all look terrible and so you don't post anything lol 🥲." —boinkbeepboop

"Yep. Made the lips pouty and cheek bones protrude. Now people use FaceTune and use filler and, in the case of influencers and celebrities with the financial means, plastic surgery like buccal fat removal, chin and cheek implants. Your more everyday person uses filler (cheaper) and they often get that pillowy look." —doesitspread

millennial pose, duckface, duckface pose, duckface pic, selfie Peace Smile GIF by MASH Athletics Giphy

"Kind of makes sense. I remember my second year teaching out of college, kids were sucking shot glasses to make their lips bigger. Felt like duckface was our early Xanga / MySpace tamer version of that." —aceituna_garden

"I firmly believe it’s because they thought their face was ugly. Like 'I’ll purposely make a weird face, then no one can tell how ugly I am' obviously mental bs that most teenage girls go through." —No-Function223

"I feel like the Olsen twins popularized this." —SpinachTroubles

olsen twins, duckface, olsen twin gif, olsen twins duckface, duckface pose creepy ashley olsen GIF Giphy

"if i take a selfie i still do it. not as often as i used too but it was more of a self conscious issue. my teeth are/were really messed up. we couldn’t afford braces and i was heavily bullied over it. i’m in braces now as an adult but I'm not sure i’ll ever get comfortable with it." —AntGroundbreaking102

"We were awkward. The ability to take constant pictures of ourselves was brand new to me and I never knew how to hold my face. So that and a lot of way too wide open fake excited face for me in my youth. I'm sure there are other reasons but this was mine lol." —whateverwhatis

"It was supposed to be a cute and sexy attention grab thing, and despite the meme potential, tbh SOME (!) people did it well I guess? I only knew the over the top meme pics everyone joked about, but most of the time it was a more subtle 'smoochy' face, at least where I came from. Like just puckering up slightly." —bubuplush

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"We thought we were so cute 😁." —badnewsbets

"Because smiling for a picture was trying too hard and it was cooler to look ironic and silly 😮💨🥴🫣." —kittymommameowmeow

"It was and I quote 'Cute and quirky'." —KaioKenshin

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"NGL, I still love it 🤣🤣🤣." —Prudent-Hovercraft35

"Years ago I was taking a picture of a girl where I worked. She kept making the duck face, and I kept telling her to stop and to just smile. It took a good 10-15 minutes to finally get a good smile out of her. At the time, it was just second nature for girls." —concernedfriend08822

"It's how girls tried to edit features of themselves before phones did it for you." —asexyzombie

"now girls just inject their lips and cheeks to make the same face with less effort! We've come a long way." —ConsciousParable

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