Calmversations s08e16 | Gen Z’s Gender Fixation: A DeTrans Story, with Soren Aldaco
Nov 8, 2025
Soren Aldaco, a detransitioner and researcher on identity and accessibility, shares insights from her personal journey and academic work. She explores how the internet shapes gender identity, discussing the pitfalls of medicalization and the need for deeper understanding in clinical settings. Soren also touches on her experiences with online grooming and how baseball provides a sense of community and identity. With humor and reflection, she emphasizes the importance of internal stability and accountability in shaping authentic selves.
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Internet Amplifies Adolescent Extremes
- The internet amplifies normal adolescent boundary-pushing into extreme identity experiments via sticky algorithms.
- Soren argues this prevents young people from stabilizing on an internally anchored, adaptable self.
Identity Is Embodied And Needs A Center
- Identity formation is embodied and tied to physiological development like puberty.
- Without a grounded 'center' young people spiral outward and fail to achieve long-term identity stability.
Self Develops Through Social Interaction
- The self is social: identity forms through interactions and feedback from others.
- Soren emphasizes community as integral to building an internally anchored but outwardly adaptable self.