You may have heard of women who identify as men and men who identify as women. In Argentina, some teenagers now identify as animals.
On a recent Sunday, a group of teenagers gathered in a public square in Buenos Aires. They dressed and behaved like animals, the AP reported.
One girl named Sofía wore a realistic beagle mask and ran on all fours on the grass. Another 15-year-old, who calls herself Aguara, jumped over obstacles like a Belgian Malinois. Some others dressed up as cats and foxes and climbed trees.
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Despite his animal identity, Aguara says he is different from any normal teenager.
“I wake up like a normal person and I live my life like a normal person. I just have moments when I like being a dog,” she was quoted as saying by the AP.
These teenagers call themselves “therians”. They are said to identify mentally or spiritually with animals.
Aguara, who calls herself the leader of her “pack,” has more than 1.25 million followers on TikTok. Organizes regular meetings for therians in Buenos Aires.
At one such event, a 16-year-old named Aru wore a seal mask. According to Aru, he belongs to the “otherpaw” group. In that group, people wear masks, tails or move on all fours mainly for fun. However, they do not identify themselves as animals.
According to Aru, this trend has become popular in Argentina because the country allows people to express themselves freely. For many young people, this movement has created a safe space where they feel accepted and understood.
This trend has recently become popular on Argentine social networks, especially TikTok. The hashtag #therian has surpassed 2 million posts, with Argentina leading in Latin America, the AP added.
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The movement drew mixed reactions. Some people laugh, others feel confused or angry. Psychologists are now studying this trend and discussing its implications.
Reaction on social networks
Social media users have reacted to an AP video showing teenagers behaving like animals.
“Maybe I don’t get it, but jumping over four people like that is impressive,” joked one of them.
“People who mind their own business and don’t hurt a soul are going to have some people in knots,” another user commented.
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Another user wrote: “Literally, who cares? They’re not hurting anyone.”
“Some people meet for D&D, LARP, ren faire, while others do dog tricks… I can do it!” came from another.
“I’m not sure if anyone is ready to hear this, but some kids play with dolls and pretend the dolls are REAL babies! Wild things, huh?” wondered another.
