Legging Legs Trend: How TikTok Shapes Body Perceptions

Have you heard about the TikTok leggings legs trend? Even if you, as parents, are unaware of this toxic new social media trend, there’s a good chance your kids know about it.

Below, we’re going to take a deep dive into the leggings legs trend, why it’s so dangerous, and how you can protect your teen or young kid—as well as yourself—from its influence.

Contents:

• What are “Leggings Legs”?
• What’s Wrong with This and Similar Trends?
• What Role Does Social Media Play in Eating Disorders?
• How to Offset These Negative Messages?
• How to Protect Your Kids From Dangerous Content?
• FAQs

What are “Leggings Legs”?

@floramayhew1 Replying to @Darc_spiers:) not fully sure what this means but got the leggings out anyway #leggings ♬ IF YOU SEE THIS FOLLOW ME – Female Rap Verses

The legging legs trend basically states that people should only wear leggings if they have a particular body shape. Although TikTok has now banned the hashtag that helped the trend go viral, it was previously being deployed to point users toward pages featuring women with thin, long legs showing off their “thigh gap” while wearing leggings or yoga pants. The overarching message was that only women with a certain body shape and type should wear leggings.

The term had (and continues to have) a huge impact, making many girls and women question what they look like, and feel as if they have no right to wear leggings unless they have a very particular leg shape. There has been a significant recent backlash to this trend, with TikTok personalities posting messages to the effect that all legs are “leggings legs”.

What’s Wrong with This and Similar Trends?

@danae_mercer Legging legs are trending on here. And if you’ve missed it and don’t know what that is: think the 2014 version obsession with thlgh ghap, just updated for 2024. In short, it’s awful. And it got me thinking about all the ways that Legging legs Can be ‘faked’. I can change my pose and stop my thighs from kissing. I can edit my body. Or I can do stuff like this: change what size clothes I’m wearing. When I originally thought of this video, I wanted to focus on how It’s OK to size up. Because that’s what I did here, And I’m a whole lot more comfy. But now there’s this trend. So instead I just want to say To any teens on my page: Please be careful with what you believe. Don’t compare their bodies to yours. Don’t judge yourself by their ruler. All legs are legging legs. All bodies are worthy. Simply because they exist, And that means we exist, And that’s the most incredible thing of all. No TkT0k body shming trend required. x Wearing @womensbest – also just to flag I changed short styles in the before vs after. First is cycle shorts too small, second is just the short shorts but right size. The short shorts xs were sold out. #womensbestambassador #instavsreality #onlinevsreality ♬ Bad Feeling (Oompa Loompa) – Jagwar Twin

The leggings legs—and similar—trends are dangerous and can lead to significant and long-term problems around things like body image and self-esteem. Such trends perpetuate a specific idea of “perfect beauty” that is, often, both unattainable and incompatible with a healthy lifestyle. While young people may be at particular risk, these trends can affect those of any age, potentially causing body dysmorphia and negative self-image.

This is far from the first time that TikTok has been involved in the spread of dangerous body image trends. For example, there’s a long-running trend where users post every single thing they eat within a twenty-four-hour period. This may sound pretty harmless, but such content can seriously promote disordered eating, with young people, especially, at risk of feeling that their bodies should appear a certain way, and eat (or not eat) accordingly.

What Role Does Social Media Play in Eating Disorders?

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Consuming social media content can play a major role in self-perception and self-esteem, conveying a societal body norm that is, typically, very slender and with certain specific attributes. Given that over half of all teens in the US spend more than four hours a day on social media platforms like TikTok, the potential for damage is huge. Social media trends, such as “leggings legs” can directly promote eating disorders, or indirectly have an influence simply by conveying, for example, thin physiques as the ideal.

a recent study by UCL researchers, published in PLOS Global Public Health in 2023, demonstrated that consuming social media content creates the risk of social comparison and conveys the idea that it’s crucial to be fit or thin. The damage is being compounded by the prolific use of filters and other such tools, to create an increasingly unattainable beauty ideal.

How to Offset These Negative Messages?

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So now we’ve established that kids and teens may be particularly susceptible to the TikTok leggings legs trend (and similar), what can we, as parents, do to offset these negative messages?

Firstly, it’s important to be aware of what your kids are viewing online, and we’re going to talk more about this below. There are lots of other things you can do to help build your child’s self-esteem and engender body positivity, too:

• Model healthy body attitudes and habits by being mindful of not speaking negatively about your own body. It’s important to model a healthy lifestyle and eating habits, too: the overall idea is to promote being kind and respectful to ourselves.
• Try to focus praise and positive comments on things other than your child’s appearance, such as how hardworking or kind they are.
• Teach kids the importance of self-care by, for example, showing them how to practice mindfulness, being self-compassionate, and helping them with coping mechanisms to manage stress.
• Embrace body diversity, to teach your kids that people come in all shapes and sizes.
• Teach your child not to take everything they see online at face value. Helping your kid to critically assess media is one of the most important weapons you can give them to fight against toxic online body trends.

Read also: Social Media Is Toxic: How to Protect Your Kids from It.

How to Protect Your Kids From Dangerous Content?

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It’s not just about offsetting negative messages coming from the online world, however—how do we go about ensuring our kids don’t see or consume this content in the first place? Here are the top steps to take to keep your kids safe.

Block Social Media Apps

Social media platforms, in general, aren’t suitable for kids, especially young children. For example, TikTok is rated as appropriate only for those aged thirteen and over—although many believe that only teens over the age of fifteen should be allowed access to the platform. If you do choose to allow your child to use social media apps, it’s vital to supervise them closely and be aware of what they’re looking at online.

Use a Parental Control App

The Kids360 app

a great parental control app, such as Kids360, allows parents to manage their child’s internet experience by blocking specific apps, setting screen time limits, and tracking how much time their kid is spending on certain platforms. These apps can be a great way to keep your child safe online, help make sure their screen-real-life balance is healthy, and give you that all-important peace of mind.

Kids360 is especially designed with children’s safety in mind, offering features like real-time location tracking, the ability to view app usage, and even notifications when your child reaches specific destinations. By providing detailed reports on their digital habits, it helps parents understand their kids’ online behavior better and step in when necessary to guide healthier practices.

Stay ahead of digital risks and start protecting your child today with Kids360!

Set Up Some Ground Rules

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If you’ve decided to allow your child to use the internet, then putting some ground rules in place is a great idea. Talk to your kid not just about these rules, but about why you’ve created them. They could be around time limits, the types of sites, platforms, and apps your child is and isn’t permitted to access, and screen-free times, such as during meal times or after 6 pm.

Related: Dangerous Apps’ List for Kids and Tweens.

Talk About the Dangers

If your child is allowed to go online, then it’s really important to speak openly and honestly (as well as age appropriately) about the dangers of the online world, and how to stay safe. Teach your kid about the importance of not sharing their personal information, and nurture a home environment where they feel comfortable speaking up about any concerns or questions they have.

The Importance of Being Aware of Dangerous Social Media Trends

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As parents, being aware of potentially dangerous trends, such as the TikTok leggings legs trend, is half the battle when it comes to keeping our kids safe and offsetting these harmful online messages. Staying on top of these viral trends, and taking active steps to bolster our child’s self-esteem as well as generally keeping them safe online can help ensure everyone enjoys a healthy online experience.

Has the TikTok leggings legs trend impacted you or one of your kids? Share your story with us in the comments box below.

FAQs

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What is the TikTok leggings legs trend?

The TikTok leggings trend centered on the need to have a very specific leg shape and size to wear leggings. This focused on “thigh gap”—a trend that last emerged in 2014 with images posted of women wearing leggings or tights (or with naked legs) “showing off” the gap between their thighs.

What do perfect legging legs mean?

According to the viral TikTok trend, “perfect” legging legs are lean, long, and have a gap between the thighs when the person stands up straight with their feet together.

What are famous leggings on TikTok?

Distinct from the “leggings legs” trend, there’s another viral TikTok leggings trend that’s been spreading like wildfire recently. The so-called “TikTok leggings” are a style designed to create the impression of a more ample and toned behind and, often, a slimmer waist.

The picture on the front page: fizkes/Shutterstock.com