Teacher shares the reason why Gen Z has a serious problem with people exposing their feet
They have a very specific generational trauma.
Gen Z TikTok users say #NoFreeFeet.
Every generation and culture has its own ever-evolving sense of modesty. Since the ‘60s, hemlines have come up and down and waistlines on women’s pants have ebbed and flowed as well, from a low in the early ‘70s to a high in the mid-2010s.
There’s a new fad amongst Gen Zers (ages 9 to 24); they are very modest about exposing their feet and toes. To older generations, this should seem like the height of modesty. However, they have a compelling reason for keeping their “dogs” covered.
(For those over the age of 25, dogs refer to feet.)
Educator Andrea, a popular TikTok teacher, broke the news about the latest trend in modesty in a post that received over 40,000 views. In the video, Andrea makes the case that younger kids are cautious about showing off their feet because they fear being fetishized.
@educatorandrea #greenscreen I’ll still wear sandals but probs not to work 😅 #fyp #teachertok #teacherlife
“These kids have had mostly unfettered access to the internet, where foot fetishes have been explored,” she explained. With access to “sites like [FeetFinder] and being propositioned on the internet for pictures of their feet, they have trouble separating other people’s fetishes from the sight of feet.”
Andrea even pinpointed the crux of the generational trauma: iCarly’s creator, Dan Schneider, who was ousted from Nickelodeon in 2018 amid accusations of abuse. Schneider has faced allegations of having a foot fetish and having the young stars in his shows participate in scenes involving feet.
Schneider has called the allegations “ridiculous.”
@emmakrasinski Oh Dan, you can’t hide your obsession here #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #icarlyaffirmation #icarly #feet #greenscreen
The other side of the feet discussion are those in the #NoFreeFeet movement, who believe they shouldn’t give away the goods without receiving compensation. "Because we've grown up on the internet and understand how depraved people are in private. I'm all for kinks but there's entire websites dedicated to cropping close-ups of stranger's feet and sh*t. If you want it, you gotta buy it," a Reddit user wrote in a discussion on the topic.
@bigfishenergy no free feet
@larrylaralarry I can literally feel my pulse in my thighs #nofreefeet
It may seem to some that a generation's decision to cover their feet to avoid being unnecessarily sexualized seems a bit extreme. However, Dr. Justin Lehmiller, a research fellow at the Kinsey Institute, says that feet are one of the more popular body parts to be sexualized.
"In the case of feet, it’s more about the visual aspect for some, but for others it may be about sniffing, licking, or otherwise touching feet, including using them during sexual penetration," he told Men’s Health. "People may be interested in any combination of these activities, or any other activity in which feet are involved, including being stepped on or helping a partner take footwear on and off."
According to Lehmiller, the people who had fantasized about feet before can be broken down into different groups:
5% of heterosexual women
18% of heterosexual men
11% of lesbian and bisexual women
21% of gay and bisexual men.
The intense feelings that Gen Z has about showing their feet may seem funny on the surface. But it’s the symptom of a specific type of anxiety about showing up in public spaces where they may be leered at or exploited without knowing.
“I have encountered clients from Gen Z who have expressed concerns about their appearance and privacy in the online space,” LeMeita Smith, a Ph.D., told Huffington Post. “Young people today are acutely aware of the potential for exploitation and objectification. The fear of having their feet fetishized, and the subsequent reluctance to show their bare feet, could be attributed to their desire to protect their personal boundaries and maintain a sense of control over how they are perceived.”
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An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
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Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."