Gen Z Loves Thirst Trapping - Why Is That?
Maybe thirst trapping does come down to our need for validation, but this validation does not always rest in the approval of others, but in our own selves.
Illustration by Ashley Boling
Thirst traps have been wrung through a host of sentiments and arguments — Are they bad? Are they good? Are they feminist? Are they safe? Urban Dictionary defines a thirst trap as “a sexy photograph or flirty message posted on social media for the intent of causing others to publicly profess their attraction”. It also goes further to add: “This is done not to actually respond or satisfy any of this attraction, but to feed the posters ego or need for attention, at the expense of the time, reputation and sexual frustration of those who view the image or reply”. “A sexy photograph” is a phrase subjective enough to include many things depending on a person’s idea of sexy. Generally, setting a thirst trap, most especially through ‘explicit’ pictures, is the idea that by posting something provocative and receiving the sought-after response, you have “trapped” (tricked) people into admitting their “thirst” (interest in or desperation for you). Some arguments state that thirst traps are inherently attention-seeking, that they feed into the constant search for validation, and that they centre the male gaze and desirability politics.
However, while thirst trapping may, in some ways, align with those arguments, in recent times, there has been a shift in the reasons a lot of people engage in this practice. Taking “sexy” pictures of your body has the potential to give you fresher perspectives of your physical appearance that you may have not been aware of. Maybe thirst trapping does come down to our need for validation, but this validation does not always rest in the approval of others, but ourselves. Peter, 24, says “There’s nothing sexier to me than seeing my body in photos. And when I post these pictures, my friends are there to gush over them. They’re my biggest support system, truly. Sometimes, I wonder if I do it for their validation but I realise that while it is awesome to get positive feedback from them, seeing those pictures alone is great for me”.
In the world today, oppressive standards of beauty affect how we treat ourselves when we don’t meet them, with internalized self-hate that can negatively influence our health and well-being. There is also the issue of body dysmorphia. Thirst traps are seen to provide a certain kind of self-pleasure, maybe even empowerment to people who take these images. Apart from the fact that thirst traps help in getting validation from friends online that boosts our self-esteem, they also help shape a more inclusive narrative about body positivity and can inspire other people to celebrate their beauty.
According to Naza, 22, seeing thirst traps on social media motivated her to take pictures of herself from different angles which in turn, gave her the spark she needed to love her body. She says, “I’m attracted to women so I love looking at women, most especially on social media. I see a lot of women with beautiful bodies that are formed in ways that look similar to mine and I appreciate them. But somehow, it was difficult for me to appreciate my own body. The same things I found appealing about their bodies were the same things I hated about mine. I started taking pictures of my body. Not exactly nudes, but just photos that highlighted those parts of my body that I struggled with. Slowly, I began to accept myself”. This is one of the mediums through which regular self-appreciation can be practised — acknowledging “small things” about your body that you like and documenting them via photographs.
Moreover, thirst traps have long been known to keep the embers of sexual desires in relationships burning. Jossy, 23, explains, “My partner and I love building sexual tension. We both lead very busy lives and live far from each other so meeting up doesn’t happen frequently. She could be at work and I’d send her pictures of my chest, my neck, fingers, basically parts of my body that she’s crazy over. Frankly, she’s crazy over every part so it doesn’t matter what I send. Sending thirst traps keeps the desire and anticipation running for when we do finally meet”.
The root of thirst traps as an actual phenomenon can be traced back to the early 2010s social media era of which it is a byproduct. Nevertheless, it is partially detached from social media or likes and comments from others as it is not always necessary to post these images. For some, there is the risk that comes with sharing thirst traps (either with friends, partners, etc or on social media) that they would not want to see being widely publicized. So even though they love taking thirst traps, they ensure that their pictures are kept safely tucked away for their eyes only. “I take a lot of thirst traps, but I’m never bold enough to post them. Plus I don’t even think I want the attention that may come from posting them. I just want to look at those images and luxuriate in my gorgeousness, by myself. That’s enough for me,” says 22-year-old Daniella.
Whether you would like to post them or not, the words of Rachel Thompson stand strong: “You deserve to celebrate yourself in all your resplendent beauty. You deserve to immortalise your incandescent hotness”.