The real reason teenagers like Venezuela Fury are doing the ‘nose cover’ on your timeline – and what it really means
ANY parent who has teenagers knows they’re the ones likely to pull a prank when it comes to family snaps.
We’ve had years of ‘bunny ears’, tongues-sticking-out, and the ‘peace’ sign hung around for decades. But now the ‘nose cover’ is Gen Z teens’ go-to pose – and even Paris Fury‘s daughter Venezuela, 14, swears by it.
In her latest Instagram story Boxer Tyson Fury’s wife, Paris shared her delight as she celebrated her niece’s thirteenth birthday. The mum-of-seven posted a family photo to mark the occasion but her niece Valentino, and her eldest daughter Venezuela hide their face behind their hand with the ‘nose cover.’
Parents have been left baffled by the ‘nose cover’ move pulled by Venezuela and her cousin with people asking if it’s a secret sign or a ‘traveller thing’ but speaking to Fabulous, mum of a 13-year-old boy, Michelle Harris says ‘it’s something I see my teen and his mates doing every day.’
But what does it mean and as parents should we be worried?
‘I asked myself all the same unnerving questions and by Christmas I’d had enough,’ says Michelle.
‘After several attempts to snatch the perfect Christmas family photo, I turned to my teen and finally asked him why.
‘“Is everything OK, why won’t you show up in family photos for the handsome boy that you are anymore?”
‘And then the big whopper…. “Are you being bullied?”
‘To my surprise he turned to me and laughed saying: “No, but I will be if you post pictures of me online without my consent!”
‘Apparently the teens have group chat’s of their own and they’re very active with school peers on the look out and competing to find and share the most embarrassing family photos of each other so they can ‘roast’ them in the group.
‘He went on to explain how the ‘nose cover’ is just a signal to their peers that they won’t be caught ‘slipping’ which we eventually translated to meaning ‘off guard.’
‘So essentially the ‘nose cover’ for most is just a way to avoid being a target for ridicule in their digital spaces with friends.
‘As parents we want to capture it all.
‘Their first step, every tooth, the braces, the spots and then we proudly post in our online social circles mindlessly without stopping to think how damaging this can be to our youngsters within their own online social groups.
‘A concerned mum at the school gate shared the sentiment saying: “In our day photos got stuck in an album and you had control over who saw them.”
‘But nowadays even just innocently changing your display picture on Whatsapp with your child in it could end up being circulated in children’s digital spaces and be used against them.
‘Luckily my son wasn’t being bullied but that’s not to say that others who use the ‘nose cover’ haven’t been affected by the nasty effects of online bullying.’
Parenting experts & Founder of The Carol App Holly Zoccolan, and Amanda Jenner spoke exclusively to Fabulous to explain why the ‘nose cover’ is popular among teenagers and what we can do as parents to better support them.
Amanda Jenner explains:
‘Using covers is the only way they can remove themselves without actually upsetting their parents by refusing to be in the photo. We as parents want and insist on capturing the moment but to a teenager this is a big deal.
‘Teenagers go through a period of not embracing their appearance, i.e. could be spots, braces, or they just have a time in their lives where they have no self confidence.
‘The online world is a very hard thing for teenagers to tackle as we all know. But to have pictures across social channels which parent’s have taken and maybe not perfected this can really affect teenagers. Their peers can often share the photo and make fun of it which is very harmful to their confidence also resulting in harmful comments which can lead onto other issues. It’s very sad that we can’t share and be proud of family photos but unfortunately this is the way it is today.’
Holly Zoccolan further explains the importance of consent and what things we can do better as parents to support our teenagers saying: ‘Teenagers withdrawing their consent to appear in family photos reflects their growing desire for privacy and control over their personal image.
‘As they develop their own identity, teenagers often become more self-conscious and sensitive about how they are perceived, especially on social media where these photos might be shared.”
Ways that parents can better respect their childrens digital spaces
Ways that parents can support this:
1. Respecting their wishes:
Acknowledging a teenager’s choice not to participate in a photo shows respect for their autonomy. This can foster trust and respect in the parent-child relationship.
2. Having a conversation:
Discuss with them why they feel uncomfortable. This can provide insight into their concerns and help find a middle ground.
3. Setting boundaries:
Negotiate when and where photos will be taken and shared. For instance, agreeing not to post photos on social media without their consent.
This is an opportunity to discuss the long-term impact of online content and the importance of consent in digital spaces.
Amanda adds: ‘It’s important to remember that this phase is a normal part of growing up, where seeking independence and establishing personal boundaries are key developmental milestones.’
As a parent Michelle asks: ‘Perhaps we should be asking for our teenagers for their consent and making negotiations about what we can and can’t post.
‘After all I wouldn’t feel comfortable about a spotty photo of me being shared online either, would you?’