The growing trend of teenage girls identifying as transgender has sparked debate, with experts linking it to social media, digital culture and the rise in gender ideology. Abigail Shrier and Dr. Lisa Littman suggest that online peer influence and exposure to transgender content contribute to "rapid-onset gender dysphoria." Social media is also linked to rising mental health issues among adolescents, as highlighted by Jean Twenge. Schools promoting gender as a spectrum may further normalize gender confusion, while the medical community's "affirmative care" model has been criticized for not exploring underlying psychological issues.