{{short description|Social media posting intended to attract attention}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
[[File:Beepboopbopopo.jpg|thumb|A shirtless man in a sexually suggestive pose taking a bathroom selfie]] A '''thirst trap''' is a type of social media post intended to entice viewers sexually.<ref>{{cite dictionary | title=thirst trap | dictionary=Dictionary.com | date=May 20, 2020 | url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/thirst-trap | access-date=2020-06-09 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123238/https://www.dictionary.com/browse/thirst-trap | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite dictionary | title=thirst trap | dictionary=Cambridge English Dictionary | url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/thirst-trap | access-date=2020-06-09 | archive-date=May 4, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220504064937/https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/thirst-trap | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Young | first=Sarah | title=Ghosting, Benching and DTR: Here's what these 13 dating terms really mean | website=The Independent | date=December 20, 2016 | url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/dating-relationship-terms-terms-what-they-mean-game-ghosting-benching-dtr-fbo-thirst-trap-a7486511.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/dating-relationship-terms-terms-what-they-mean-game-ghosting-benching-dtr-fbo-thirst-trap-a7486511.html |archive-date=May 7, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | access-date=2020-06-10}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="Merriam-Webster">{{cite web | title=What is a thirst trap | url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/what-is-a-thirst-trap | access-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123239/https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/what-is-a-thirst-trap | url-status=live }}</ref> It refers to a viewer's "thirst", a colloquialism likening sexual frustration to dehydration, implying desperation, with the afflicted individual being described as "thirsty".<ref name="Merriam-Webster"/><ref name="Favilla 2017 p. 143">{{cite book | last=Favilla | first=E. J. | title=A World Without 'Whom': The Essential Guide to Language in the BuzzFeed Age | publisher=Bloomsbury | year=2017 | isbn=978-1-63286-759-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bk8kDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT143 | access-date=2020-06-08 | page=143 | archive-date=June 21, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621091407/https://books.google.com/books?id=Bk8kDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT143 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="The New York Times 2017">{{cite web | title=It's Easy to Be Called 'Thirsty' on Social Media. What About on Capitol Hill? | website=The New York Times | date=April 4, 2017 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/magazine/its-easy-to-be-called-thirsty-on-social-media-what-about-on-capitol-hill.html | access-date=2020-06-09 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123233/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/magazine/its-easy-to-be-called-thirsty-on-social-media-what-about-on-capitol-hill.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The phrase entered into the lexicon in the late 1990s, but is most related to Internet slang that developed in the early 2010s. Its meaning has changed over time, previously referring to a graceless need for approval, affection or attention.<ref name="NPR.org 2018">{{cite web | title='Thirst Trap' Enters The Lexicon | website=NPR | date=April 17, 2018 | url=https://www.npr.org/2018/04/17/603093415/thrist-trap-enters-the-lexicon | access-date=2020-06-08 | archive-date=June 15, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615225949/https://www.npr.org/2018/04/17/603093415/thrist-trap-enters-the-lexicon | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="The New York Times 2017"/>
== History == The term ''thirst trap'' originated within selfie culture,<ref name="Dictionary.com -slang">{{cite web | title=What Does Thirst Trap Mean? | website=Dictionary.com | date=June 6, 2018 | url=https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/thirst-trap/ | access-date=2020-06-09 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123236/https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/thirst-trap/ | url-status=live }}</ref> though its precise origins remain unclear. An early use of the phrase with reference to dehydration appears in the 1999 book ''Running for Dummies'' by Florence Griffith Joyner and John Hanc, where it referred to the deceptive sensation of thirst being quenched after initial fluid intake, advising continued hydration to avoid the so-called "thirst trap."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Joyner |first=F. G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=bHVYAAAAYAAJ&q=&redir_esc=y |title=Running for dummies |last2=Hanc |first2=J. |date=1999 |publisher=IDG Books |isbn=978-0-7645-5096-6 |location=Foster City, CA |page=[https://www.nastyhookups.com/ 39] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250417094806/https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=bHVYAAAAYAAJ&q=&redir_esc=y |archive-date=2025-04-17 |url-status=live}}</ref>
The modern usage of ''thirst trap'' resurfaced around 2011 on platforms such as Twitter and ''Urban Dictionary'', coinciding with the growing popularity of Snapchat, Instagram, and dating apps like Tinder and Grindr.<ref name="NPR.org 2018" />
In 2011, Urban Dictionary defined it as "any statement used to intentionally create attention or 'thirst'."<ref name="Davis 2015">{{cite web | last=Davis | first=Allison P. | title=Quit Worrying and Embrace the Art of the Thirst Trap | website=The Cut | date=March 13, 2015 | url=https://www.thecut.com/2015/03/quit-worrying-and-embrace-the-thirst-trap.html | access-date=2020-06-09 | archive-date=October 22, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022182126/https://www.thecut.com/2015/03/quit-worrying-and-embrace-the-thirst-trap.html | url-status=live }}</ref>
By 2018, the term had entered mainstream discourse, appearing in outlets such as ''The New York Times'' and ''GQ'' without the need for explanation.<ref name="NPR.org 2018"/>
== Usage of the term ==
Often, the term ''thirst trap'' describes an attractive picture of an individual that they post online.<ref name="Feurey 2019 p. 122">{{cite book | last=Feurey | first=M. | title=Modern Slang Expressions | publisher=Practicus | year=2019 | isbn=978-89-6893-034-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eyuUDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT122 | access-date=2020-06-08 | page=122 | archive-date=June 21, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621091608/https://books.google.com/books?id=eyuUDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT122 | url-status=live }}</ref>
Thirst trap can also describe a digital heartthrob.<ref name="NPR.org 2018"/> For instance, former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has been described as a political thirst trap.<ref name="NPR.org 2018"/><ref>{{cite book | last1=Taras | first1=D. | last2=Davis | first2=R. | title=Power Shift? Political Leadership and Social Media: Case Studies in Political Communication | publisher=Taylor & Francis | year=2019 | isbn=978-0-429-88032-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-NvBDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT68 | access-date=2020-06-09 | page=68 | archive-date=June 21, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621092039/https://books.google.com/books?id=-NvBDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT68 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Justin Trudeau Had the Best Time at Toronto's Pride Parade | website=InStyle | date=June 26, 2017 | url=https://www.instyle.com/news/justin-trudeau-prime-minister-canada-pride-parade-socks | access-date=2020-06-09 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123238/https://www.instyle.com/news/justin-trudeau-prime-minister-canada-pride-parade-socks | url-status=live }}</ref>
It has also been described as a modern form of "fishing for compliments".<ref name="Favilla 2017 p. 143"/>
== Motivation ==
Thirst trapping may be driven by a variety of motives.<ref name="Suckling 2018">{{cite web | last=Suckling | first=Lee | title=Lee Suckling: How to tell if you've been caught in a 'thirst trap' | website=The New Zealand Herald | date=March 8, 2018 | url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12008925 | access-date=2020-06-09 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123647/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12008925 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Isador 2017">{{cite web | last=Isador | first=Graham | title=We Asked People Why They Post Thirst Traps | website=Vice | date=February 27, 2017 | url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/we-asked-people-why-they-post-thirst-traps/ | access-date=June 9, 2020 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123703/https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/wnkej4/we-asked-people-why-they-post-thirst-traps | url-status=live }}</ref> Individuals often seek attention through "likes" and comments on social media, which can offer a temporary sense of validation and improved self-esteem.<ref name="Suckling 2018"/> It can also serve as an outlet for expressing one's sexuality or enhancing a personal brand.<ref name="Suckling 2018"/><ref name="Isador 2017"/> In some cases, sharing such content may provide financial gain.<ref name="Isador 2017"/> Others might post thirst traps to cope with emotional distress, such as after breakup,<ref name="Segel 2017">{{cite web | last=Segel | first=Alison | title=What's A Thirst Trap? This Selfie Trend Is All The Rage | website=Elite Daily | date=October 27, 2017 | url=https://www.elitedaily.com/p/whats-a-thirst-trap-this-selfie-trend-is-all-the-rage-3012097 | access-date=June 10, 2020 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123241/https://www.elitedaily.com/p/whats-a-thirst-trap-this-selfie-trend-is-all-the-rage-3012097 | url-status=live }}</ref> or to spite a former lover.<ref name="triple j 2017">{{cite web | title=The thirst is real with thirst trapping | website=triple j |location=Australia |publisher=ABC | date=November 21, 2017 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/the-hook-up/thirst-trapping/9177074 | access-date=June 10, 2020 | archive-date=January 28, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128032603/https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/the-hook-up/thirst-trapping/9177074 | url-status=live }}</ref> Sharing a thirst trap has also been used as a way to connect in times of social isolation (e.g. COVID-19 pandemic).<ref name="Bergado">{{cite web | last=Bergado | first=Gabe | title=Everybody's Horny and Thirst Trapping Like There's No Tomorrow Because of the Coronavirus Pandemic | website=Teen Vogue | date=April 3, 2020 | url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/thirst-traps-during-coronavirus-pandemic | access-date=June 9, 2020 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123237/https://www.teenvogue.com/story/thirst-traps-during-coronavirus-pandemic | url-status=live }}</ref>
From a physiological standpoint, endorphins and neurotransmitters like oxytocin and dopamine are released during sexual contact. It has been speculated outside of the academic setting that sharing and engaging with thirst traps may elicit similar pleasure responses.<ref name="Bergado"/>
== Methodology ==
Methodologies have developed to take an optimal thirst trap photo.<ref name="Elite Daily 2017">{{cite web | title=5 Tips For Taking The Perfect Thirst Trap That'll Make You Feel So, So Sexy | website=Elite Daily | date=2017-11-30 | url=https://www.elitedaily.com/p/how-to-take-the-perfect-thirst-trap-thatll-make-you-feel-so-so-sexy-6737222 | access-date=2020-06-09 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123239/https://www.elitedaily.com/p/how-to-take-the-perfect-thirst-trap-thatll-make-you-feel-so-so-sexy-6737222 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Pugachevsky 2019 Abrams 2018">{{cite web | last=Pugachevsky | first=Julia | title=How to Take the Perfect Thirst Trap Photo – Everything to Know About Thirst Trapping | website=Cosmopolitan | date=2019-08-27 | url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/a25607338/thirst-trap-definition-tips/ | access-date=2020-06-09 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123235/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/a25607338/thirst-trap-definition-tips/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Abrams | first=Margaret | title=The 6 types of celebrity thirst trap | website=Evening Standard | date=2018-11-14 | url=https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/alist/thirst-trap-bella-hadid-emily-ratajkowski-a3961006.html | access-date=2020-06-10 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123235/https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/alist/thirst-trap-bella-hadid-emily-ratajkowski-a3961006.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Reporting for ''Vice'' magazine, Graham Isador found several of his social network contacts spent a lot of time considering how to take the best photo and what text they should use. They considered angles and lighting. Sometimes they made use of the self-timer feature available on some cameras.<ref name="Isador 2017"/> Often, body parts are put on display without being too explicit (e.g. bulges of male genitalia, breast cleavage, abdominal muscles, pectoral muscles, backs, buttocks).<ref name="Davis 2015"/><ref name="Suckling 2018"/><ref name="Hirschlag 2020">{{cite web | last=Hirschlag | first=Allison | title=How to Spot a Toxic Thirst Trap Before It Lures You In | website=Medium | date=2020-02-25 | url=https://thebolditalic.com/how-to-spot-a-toxic-thirst-trap-before-it-lures-you-in-ac70bc30970a | access-date=2020-06-10 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611014510/https://thebolditalic.com/how-to-spot-a-toxic-thirst-trap-before-it-lures-you-in-ac70bc30970a | url-status=live }}</ref>
Often, the thirst trap is accompanied by a caption.<ref name="Dictionary.com -slang"/><ref name="Battle and Cubria 2017">{{cite web | last1=Battle | first1=Marquaysa | last2=Cubria | first2=Kaitlin | title=20 Best Instagram Captions For Your Thirst Trap Photos | website=Elite Daily | date=2017-05-24 | url=https://www.elitedaily.com/life/instagram-captions-selfies-thirst-trap-pictures/1957815 | access-date=2020-06-10 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123237/https://www.elitedaily.com/life/instagram-captions-selfies-thirst-trap-pictures/1957815 | url-status=live }}</ref> For instance, in October 2019, actress Tracee Ellis Ross posted bikini pictures on Instagram with a caption that included the message: "I've worked so hard to feel good in my skin and to build a life that truly matches me and I'm in it and it feels good. ... No filter, no retouch 47 year old thirst trap! Boom!"<ref name="Battle and Cubria 2017"/>
On Instagram, #ThirstTrapThursdays is a popular tag.<ref name="Dictionary.com -slang"/> Followers reply in turn after a posting.<ref name="Davis 2015"/>
== Variations ==
"Gatsbying" is a variation of the thirst trap, where one puts posts on social media to attract the attention of a particular individual.<ref name="Gollayan 2018">{{cite web | last=Gollayan | first=Christian | title='Gatsbying' is the confusing new millennial dating trend | website=New York Post | date=2018-06-21 | url=https://nypost.com/2018/06/21/gatsbying-is-the-confusing-new-millennials-dating-trend/ | access-date=2020-06-23 | archive-date=June 26, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626085513/https://nypost.com/2018/06/21/gatsbying-is-the-confusing-new-millennials-dating-trend/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="HuffPost 2018">{{cite web |first=Brittany |last=Wong | title=If You're Single, You're Probably Guilty Of 'Gatsbying' On Instagram | website=HuffPost | date=2018-07-25 | url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gatsbying-instagram-social-media_n_5b5766c3e4b0fd5c73c97a23 | access-date=2020-06-23 | archive-date=June 24, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624111524/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gatsbying-instagram-social-media_n_5b5766c3e4b0fd5c73c97a23 | url-status=live }}</ref> The term alludes to the novel ''The Great Gatsby'' where the character Jay Gatsby would throw extravagant parties to attract the attention of his love interest, Daisy.<ref name="HuffPost 2018"/> "Instagrandstanding" is an alternative name for this.<ref>{{cite web | last=Still | first=Jennifer | title=Instagrandstanding Is The New Thirst Trapping Trend You May Be Guilty Of | website=Bolde | date=2019-03-05 | url=https://www.bolde.com/instagrandstanding-thirst-trapping-trend-guilty/ | access-date=2020-06-23 | archive-date=June 23, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623173637/https://www.bolde.com/instagrandstanding-thirst-trapping-trend-guilty/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Single AF and Looking: 7 Dating Terms to Define Your Relationship | website=TUSK | date=2019-09-16 | url=https://tuskmagazine.org/2019/09/16/single-af-and-looking/ | access-date=2020-06-23 | archive-date=June 26, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626141017/https://tuskmagazine.org/2019/09/16/single-af-and-looking/ | url-status=usurped }}</ref>
"Wholesome trapping" has developed, where one posts pictures of more meaningful aspects of life, such as spending time with friends or doing outdoor activities.<ref name="Thomas 2019">{{cite web | last=Thomas | first=Helen Meriel | title=Introducing 'Wholesome Trapping', the Thirst Trap's Cutesy Cousin | website=Vice | date=2019-05-10 | url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/instagram-thrist-trap-wholesome-trapping/ | access-date=2020-06-09 | archive-date=August 24, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824082433/https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/3k3kvn/instagram-thrist-trap-wholesome-trapping | url-status=live }}</ref>
== Criticism == Psychotherapist Lisa Brateman has criticized thirst traps as an unhealthy method of receiving external validation.<ref name="Davis 2015"/><ref name="Kheraj">{{cite web | last=Kheraj | first=Alim | title=How to Save Yourself from a Thirst Trap | website=GQ | date=December 28, 2017 | url=https://www.gq.com/story/how-to-save-yourself-from-a-thirst-trap | access-date=2020-06-09 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123626/https://www.gq.com/story/how-to-save-yourself-from-a-thirst-trap | url-status=live }}</ref> This desire for external validation can be addictive.<ref name="Kheraj"/>
Thirst traps can cause pressure to maintain a good physical appearance, and therefore cause self-esteem issues.<ref name="Suckling 2018"/><ref name="Kheraj"/> Additionally, thirst traps are often highly choreographed and thus present a distorted perception of reality.<ref name="Suckling 2018"/><ref name="Kheraj"/> The manufacturing of thirst traps can be limited when one enters a relationship or with time as the body ages.<ref name="DMARGE 2019">{{cite web | title=The True Meaning Of 'Thirst Trapping' | website=DMARGE | date=2019-03-04 | url=https://www.dmarge.com/2019/03/thirst-traps.html | access-date=2020-06-09 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123533/https://www.dmarge.com/2019/03/thirst-traps.html | url-status=live }}</ref>
In some cases, thirst traps can lead to harassment and online bullying.<ref name="triple j 2017"/><ref name="Safronova 2017">{{cite web | last=Safronova | first=Valeriya | title=Instagram Is Now a Dating Platform, Too. Here's How It Works. | website=The New York Times | date=2017-12-21 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/21/style/instagram-thirst-traps-dating-breakups.html | access-date=2020-06-10 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123626/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/21/style/instagram-thirst-traps-dating-breakups.html | url-status=live }}</ref> In April 2020, model Chrissy Teigen posted a video of herself wearing a black one-piece swimsuit, and she received a multitude of negative comments that constituted bullying and body shaming.<ref name="Torres 2020">{{cite web | last=Torres | first=Krista | title=Chrissy Teigen Shared A Video Of Her Body, Got Shamed for Having a 'Square' Shape, and Is Now Talking About How Society Has Conditioned Us to Like 'Surgically-Enhanced Curves' | website=BuzzFeed | date=2020-04-27 | url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristatorres/chrissy-teigen-shared-a-video-of-her-square-body | access-date=2020-06-10 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611123647/https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristatorres/chrissy-teigen-shared-a-video-of-her-square-body | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Amatulli 2020">{{cite web | last=Amatulli | first=Jenna | title=Chrissy Teigen Claps Back at Body-Shaming Trolls Calling Her 'SpongeBob' | website=HuffPost | date=2020-04-27 | url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chrissy-teigen-thirst-trap-troll-lockdown_n_5ea6f774c5b6e6ceb683173d | access-date=2020-06-10 | archive-date=June 11, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611232406/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chrissy-teigen-thirst-trap-troll-lockdown_n_5ea6f774c5b6e6ceb683173d | url-status=live }}</ref>
== See also == {{wikt}} * Attention economy
== References == {{reflist}}
Category:Selfies Category:2010s slang Category:Social media Category:Narcissism Category:2010s neologisms Category:Culture of X (social network) Category:Culture of Instagram