Runway models have it. Ultra-thin fashion moguls have it. But what exactly is this new body trend that has millions of teenage of girls fantasizing of one day flaunting themselves?

The infamous and highly sought after “thigh gap”. The term is self-explanatory; it refers to legs being so thin that the upper thighs don’t touch. It’s become almost a game or way of life for girls of all ages to achieve what Photoshop, makeup artists, lighting and genetics do for models. The size of one’s inner thighs seems to now be the body insecurity of choice.  This glorified, yet ever so elusive, few inches between the thighs is exactly the kind you can witness when a Victoria’s Secret Angel struts down the runway.

Social media has made it possible for girls to compare their bodies, makeup and hair twenty-four seven. Websites like Tumblr, Twitter, and Pinterest serve as outlets through which teens are able to share images of thigh gaps, pronounced collarbones and confidence-destroying messages disguised as inspiration for staying thin. The obsession has gotten so severe that there are sites and Twitter profiles specifically dedicated to the gaps between these women’s thighs.

“Eating isn’t very Chanel” writes Twitter user @Striving_Skinny, while @Skinandbones says “I need a bigger thigh gap and a concave tummy; I need skinny!” and a Tumblr user writes “First I want a thigh gap, then I can die happy.”  Written declarations such as these of self-hatred spring from these young girls intense admiration of ultra-skinny body frames and powerful desires for what seems to be the almighty thigh gap.

Undeniably, there are girls who simply view the thigh gap as a far off fantasy and don’t take action, but in many cases teenage girls aspiring to achieve it use any means necessary, often times going to dangerous extremes. But can we blame them? These images have been glamorized and popularized to the highest degree, causing females everywhere to feel the need to conform, in order to meet this new body image standard.

The desire for such small thighs is apparently so strong that it has resulted in plastic surgeons seeing a significant increase in demand for procedures that will reduce thigh size. Procedures such as Lipoglaze freeze fat cells so they die and disappear, making a thigh gap much more attainable.

Models like Candice Swanepoel and Cara Delevingne are essentially Gods in the eyes of today’s teenagers and have become poster girls for young women desperate to lose weight or to achieve the nearly impossible thigh gap. For years girls have become so fixated with emulating models that they end up turning to eating disorders and starvation, all in an effort to become what they perceive as beautiful.

The motivation behind the thigh gap surprisingly isn’t always linked to making themselves more desirable to boys. In fact, it’s likely that upon being asked, the average guy wouldn’t have a clue what a thigh gap even is, nor would they care. Many girls seem to correlate creating a thigh gap to the ultimate fashion accessory and an elevation of popularity or social status.

The thigh gap is just another thing to add to the growing list of ridiculous and unattainable ideals that 21st century girls are held to.