‘Hug My Younger Self’ Trend Goes Viral: Here’s the Easiest Prompt for Google Gemini

A new social media trend, ‘Hug my younger self,’ has gone viral globally, with users creating nostalgic images of their present selves embracing their childhood versions. The emotionally resonant images are being created using a simple text prompt in Google Gemini’s AI image generation tool, leading to millions of downloads and a surge in the app’s popularity.

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The trend allows individuals to merge a current photo with a childhood picture, producing a new, polaroid-style image that captures a moment of self-love and reflection.

How to Create the ‘Hug My Younger Self’ Image

To participate in the trend, users upload a recent photo and a childhood photo into the Google Gemini application. They then use a specific text command to instruct the AI on how to blend the two images into a cohesive and heartwarming portrait.

The Easiest Prompt

The most widely used and effective prompt to generate the image is:

“Click a cute polaroid picture of my older self hugging my younger self”

Users have also found success with more detailed variations to achieve specific aesthetics, such as:

• “Create a Polaroid-style image where I am hugging my childhood self. The picture should look vintage, with slightly faded colors and a white border.”
• “Using my present photo and my childhood photo, create a realistic image where my current self is hugging my younger self. Preserve both faces accurately, with a mood showing nostalgia and warmth.”
• “Take a photo with a Polaroid camera. Make it look like both people are hugging, with a slight blur and a consistent light source like a flash from a dark room. Keep both faces unchanged and clear.”

A Global Phenomenon Driven by Gemini

The popularity of the “Hug my younger self” trend has significantly boosted Google Gemini’s user base, pushing it ahead of competitors like ChatGPT in app store rankings.

• Massive Growth: The app saw 12.6 million downloads in September 2024 alone, a 45% increase from the previous month.
• User Surge: Over 23 million new users have joined since the image generation feature gained traction.
• India Leads Adoption: India has become the largest market for Gemini, with 15.2 million downloads through August 2024, significantly outpacing the 9.8 million in the United States.

This growth has been fueled by distinctly local content, including 1990s Bollywood-inspired portraits and an “AI saree” trend that also uses the same technology.

Privacy and Safety Concerns Raised

The viral nature of the trend has also brought attention to data privacy issues. According to Google’s policies, all uploaded images and data are collected to improve its AI models. This practice has raised concerns among cybersecurity experts and authorities.

In one instance, the Jalandhar Rural Police in India issued a public warning about the potential for identity theft and cyber fraud linked to uploading personal photos to AI platforms. Some users have also reported “creepy” incidents where the AI generated accurate personal details, like birthmarks, that were not visible in the original photos.

Official Safety Measures

In response to these concerns, Google has highlighted its safety features, which include:

• SynthID: An invisible digital watermark on all AI-generated images to distinguish them from real photographs.
• Metadata Tags: Embedded information to help track AI-generated content.
• User Controls: Options for users to delete their activity and manage data collection settings in their Google accounts.

Privacy experts recommend that users avoid uploading sensitive personal images and review their account settings regularly.

The Cultural Impact of the AI Trend

The “Hug my younger self” trend has resonated deeply with users, who describe it as a form of “digital self-love therapy.” The act of creating an image that visualizes comforting one’s past self has struck an emotional chord, leading to millions of shares on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter).

The trend’s visibility has been amplified by celebrities and influencers who have shared their own AI-generated images, further cementing its place as a major cultural moment in 2024. This phenomenon highlights a growing shift in how AI is used for personal and creative expression, blending advanced technology with universal human emotions.