Transgenderism is increasingly popular in today's media. It is more talked about and accepted than in earlier generations. While Shrier has no issues with transgender adults living the life they want for themselves, she is extremely concerned about the recent increase in transgenderism amongst teen and preteen girls. Throughout the book, Shrier explains how many girls going thru puberty may be uncomfortable with their body, have trouble fitting in, and experience unpleasant emotions. To make sense of all this, they go online and find transgender social media "influencers" who sing the praises of "transitioning". In many places, minors do not need proper psychological evaluation or parental consent to start taking hormone pills or undergo transitional surgery. Some go so far as to chop off their chests and take medication that renders them infertile. Sadly, there are girls who transition to boys that come to regret their decision later in life. While critics may say this book is transphobic, I don't think that's the case. The author is very supportive of transgender adults and of the broader LGBTQ+ community. She is simply concerned about young girls being influenced to transition who are not actually transgender. Strier also emphasizes the difference between a child who has expresses gender dysmorphia consistently from a young age (without social media) versus a child who suddenly expresses gender dysmorphia around puberty (when exposed to social media). Both should be treated with care to understand the root cause of unhappiness. Many influencers talk about people who transitioned and love it. Few influencers talk about people who transitioned and came to regret it.
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