(ZENIT News / Rome, 05.24.2025).- In less than a decade, the number of individuals in the United States identifying as transgender has grown by 68%, according to a study published in «Sexuality Research and Social Policy«. Yet behind this striking statistic lies a more complex and controversial story—one shaped by generational divides, cultural dynamics, and the digital age’s influence on identity formation.
The most dramatic shift is among young adults aged 18 to 24, where self-identification as transgender has risen nearly fivefold—from 0.59% in 2014 to 3.08% in 2023. The increase is also notable among those aged 25 to 34. In contrast, the rates among people over 35 have remained largely unchanged.
This sharp generational gap has raised questions far beyond demographic curiosity. Psychologist Jean Twenge, one of the authors of the study and a professor at San Diego State University, argues that the data reflect more than just growing acceptance. In her analysis, Twenge cautions against simplistic narratives and insists on a more nuanced reading of the trends.
Twenge challenges the left’s often-cited explanation that greater societal acceptance is driving the rise in trans identification. If that were the case, she argues, we would expect to see increases across all age groups. But the stagnation among older adults suggests something else is at play—something that is impacting younger cohorts more directly and intensely.
On the other side of the spectrum, the political right has championed the theory of “social contagion,” positing that transgender identity is spreading through peer influence and online communities, particularly among adolescent girls. Twenge distances herself from that label but ends up arriving at similar territory. She points to the proliferation of digital content—YouTube videos, TikTok testimonials, and online forums—as a key vector in shaping youth perceptions of gender.
This perspective echoes findings from earlier controversial studies, such as Lisa Littman’s 2018 research on Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD), which suggested that some young people may adopt a transgender identity in response to peer influence or online content, rather than through a longstanding internal experience of dysphoria. Though Littman’s study drew heavy fire from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, it has since withstood peer review and become one of the most accessed articles on the topic, even informing policy reviews in France, Sweden, and the UK.
In essence, Twenge’s framing aligns with what many clinicians and analysts—such as Jungian therapist Lisa Marchiano—have been observing for years: that identity formation among youth in the digital age is increasingly mediated by online validation and group dynamics. Marchiano described how adolescents may discover and affirm a transgender identity through platforms that offer compelling narratives of transformation, often reinforced by peer groups who come out together.
While Twenge stops short of endorsing any political interpretation, her work reinforces a growing consensus that the exponential rise in youth transgender identification cannot be explained by biology or acceptance alone. It is, instead, likely a complex interplay of cultural, psychological, and technological forces—forces that younger generations navigate with a fluency and vulnerability unique to their time.
The challenge now is how institutions—educational, medical, and governmental—respond. With debates raging over gender-affirming care, social transitioning in schools, and parental rights, the need for data-driven, ideology-free research has never been more urgent.
The findings of this study suggest we are not simply witnessing a surge in visibility, but a seismic shift in how gender is understood, lived, and transmitted—particularly among the digital natives for whom the internet is not just a tool, but an extension of the self.
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