In science the things that have a tiny probability of happening are the things which make for the best headlines.  News reporters cover crashes, not safe landings or auto races where nothing goes wrong.  Transgender care for youth is like this.  Reuters and other media know that the trainwreck will get ratings. They wrote “No definitive research has established a link between social media use and gender identity among youths.”  Then published a story that presents this very thing as being the case ignoring all evidence.
 
 We have now plenty of long term research on regret among transgender youth. The rate of regret is less than 1% in big studies and never above 2.5% in smaller studies.  More data leads to a smaller rate of regret.  The WPATH standards of care which Reuters cites call for hormones to start at the onset of puberty and for surgery at the age of medical consent or with parental consent.  In the wide world perhaps you can find a few people who get this done improperly.  Exceptions do not make the rule.  Transgender people existing does not invalidate cisgender people, detransitioners existing does not invalidate transgender people.   It is a break of format for a paper but it is important that the scholarly references be seen.

References

Conlin, M. and Respaut R., T. C.A gender imbalance emerges among trans teens seeking treatmentonline, 2022 https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-transyouth-topsurgery/  

Reuters errorful story.

Olson, K. R., Durwood, L., Horton, R., Gallagher, N. M. and Devor, A.Gender Identity 5 Years After Social TransitionPediatrics, 2022, Vol. 150(2) https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-056082 

A five year study which established a 2.5% rate of detransition.  94% were binary trans after five years with 1.3% who tried being nonbinary for a little bit.

Bustos, VP, Bustos, SS, Mascaro, A, Del Corral, G, Forte, AJ, Ciudad, P, Kim, EA, Langstein, HN and Manrique, OJ.Regret after Gender-affirmation Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of PrevalencePlast Reconstr Surg Glob Open, 2021 https://doi.org/10.1097/GOX.0000000000003477 

A meta analysis a study which reanalyzed the data of many other studies. IT found a combined rate of regret of less than 1%.

Bustos, VP, Bustos, SS, Mascaro, A, Del Corral, G, Forte, AJ, Ciudad, P, Kim, EA, Langstein, HN and Manrique, OJ.Regret after Gender-affirmation Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prevalence—ErratumPlast Reconstr Surg Glob Open., 2022 https://doi.org/10.1097/GOX.0000000000004340 

A reanalysis of the above meta analysis with more data which lead to an even lower rate of regret still less than 1%.

What We Know Project, Cornell University, “What Does the Scholarly Research Say about the Effect of Gender Transition on Transgender Well-Being?” (online literature review), 2018.   https://whatweknow.inequality.cornell.edu/topics/lgbt-equality/what-does-the-scholarly-research-say-about-the-well-being-of-transgender-people/  

A collection of 51 papers that scientifically establish the benefit of transition for people who are trans.

Conclusion. 
 
 Reuters wrote a story in which they knew the facts they were presenting have no basis in fact.  They presented anecdote and innuendo as fact.  Yes, it is a fact detransitioners exist.   It is a fact that girls are presenting as trans more often than in the past.  This can be easily explained by the massive stigma against people who are biologically male who don’t act in a traditionally masculine way. Add that to how society can make life easier for those who appear male and we see why FTM’s are more likely to come out now. 
 
 For decades if not centuries it was more likely someone transgender was going to be a biological chromosomal male who due to neurological and psychological reasons identifies as a female.  This was the more visible mode of being trans.  Now the imbalance of the past is correcting itself.  That is not a sign that something is wrong.
 
 Reuters got scorched for this on Twitter, and deconstructed line by line. For my part the whole premise of the article is wrong from the start so replying to everything that builds on that premise is unnecessary.  Here are the best examples for those who need to see more.