Argentine teenagers are embracing the "Therian" trend, a new popular craze involving wearing animal masks and crawling on all fours while mimicking animal behavior in public parks.
A central square in Buenos Aires temporarily turned into an urban jungle as a group of teenagers donned masks of beagles, cats, foxes, and various other animals, crawling on all fours, jumping over obstacles, and climbing trees amid the bewildered and amazed onlookers.
They call themselves "Therians," individuals who identify as having a psychological, spiritual, or partial identity connection with non-human animals.
The trend is rapidly gaining traction on TikTok, where the hashtag #therian has amassed over 2 million posts, with Argentina being the country with the highest engagement in the Latin American region.
Some teenagers have hundreds of thousands of followers and regularly organize group meetups, while others say this is not about pretending to be animals but a form of self-expression and fun in a space where they feel safe.
However, this phenomenon is sparking debate within Argentine society, ranging from laughter and mockery to psychological concerns about whether this is just a passing trend or indicative of underlying disorders.
Mental health experts point out that this trend reflects young people's search for identity and acceptance in the social media era and may be more than just viral content.
. AP
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