Why Kids All Pose with the Peace Sign in Photos
- bigrickstuart
- Sep 29, 2025
- 1 min read
kids being cool with Japanese pop culture influences hmm...
from Peta Pixel
The peace sign, or V-sign, has been part of American culture for nearly a century. The contemporary version — two fingers held up with the palm facing outward — originated during World War II as a symbol of victory over Nazism. In the 1960s, American activists adopted it to signify opposition to the Vietnam War. Over time, the gesture evolved into a general symbol of peace.
By the 1980s and 1990s, it could serve as a greeting, a farewell, or a playful addition to “hippie” costumes. But it was not widely used as a standard photo pose — at least not the way today’s children do it — and the gesture rarely carried the same meaning for them.
The Influence of Japanese Pop Culture
One factor behind the peace sign’s popularity among Gen Z and Gen Alpha is Japanese pop culture, particularly anime. The gesture began spreading in Japan as early as the 1970s, possibly popularized by a camera commercial. Young people there adopted it in photos, and anime characters frequently display it.
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According to Vox’s Kids Today newsletter, the peace sign isn’t the only pose children use in photos. New variations are emerging in photos, including the “gyaru peace sign,” with the palm facing up, and a sideways peace sign framing the eye between the fingers.
