It’s the new anorexia or cutting. These things come in societal waves, and tend to impact teenage girls the most.

Birds of a feather flock together.

I do not find that sufficient to explain away the phenomenon. It could account for part of it.

Why?

I could just as easily ask you why you think it is sufficient to wholly explain it away.

I don't know if it is. But even you agree it plausibly explains at least part of the effect. All you offered is your personal incredulity.

Which is as much as you offered.

It wouldn't be easy to prove something like that, because you're claiming the causation is inverted. You can't very well construct a controlled study out of people's social connections or gender identity.

I don't think either of us can do more than an educated guess here.

You said "The fact that it spreads inside friend circles should be all it takes to defeat the idea that it is based on some fundamental internal gender dysphoria." I offered a plausible alternative. At least you admit you're guessing now.