Because it makes them dysphoric and feels invalidating to them.

Imo, this is a totally normal, but not something to be encouraged. My problem is that people encourage this behavior to the point of denying reality and being proud of it. To the point where you can't call a female person female or it's an intentional hate crime. Someone's SEX was never meant to be interpreted this way, I can remember when the trans community was still sane and sex and gender were widely considered two seperate topics... 

Insecure people (esp young) want something to latch onto that they can build an identity and purpose around. Something like being trans (which now, anyone can be and theres no gatekeeping for) is even more addictive because there's a lot of positive feedback from other people in that group. I think THAT is what hooks people and why is appears contagious. Esp in the early phases where you're "discovering" your transness. I know this is overplayed but it is cultlike in a way, because cults will also lovebomb the shit out of you at first and promise you everything you've ever wanted. 

I agree. I also think it's common because a lot of women/girls WANT to be feminine (which is also associated with desirability) to a degree but they want to distance themselves from conformative feminity, feeling like they're conforming to gender roles, stereotypes, or just a general feeling of being a "traditional girl/woman." This feels like something forced onto them and uncomfortable, and yet they're still attracted to it as well. So to a lot of women it feels mentally more comfortable to be girlish if they can completely divorce themselves from their own womanhood—I'm not a feminine, girly woman conforming to patriarchal gender roles; I'm a gender nonconforming MAN. This feels empowering and freeing rather than submissive. I went through similar feelings myself so I'm very familiar with them, and tbh I think a lot of teen girls do at some point, but now it's socially acceptable to throw away your gender entirely for any reason, so ofc people do so at the drop of a hat. 

Its veryyy common to the point where even people within the trans community mock it.

Personally I think they're very confused individuals who aren't trans 99% of the time, but in my experience this is a discussion than could go in circles for weeks. 

I'm a woman and I don't do anything special to be a woman nor act like a woman. I simply am and I exist same as anyone else. I fill my time with an even mix of obligations and things I like to do. I try to keep goals and stick to them and live my life according to a general set of values that are unrelated to my sex. I do not obsess over femininity or masculinity because life and existance is much bigger than that. Deep in your heart, this is the mindset you need to have: you are not a woman/man because of how you behave or what you like. 

As for feeling/looking feminine, wrt fashion etc., that requires some trial and error. What clothing styles do you like? Have you tried different kinds to make sure? What level/type of feminity are you trying to achieve? Do you have a mall near you? (Really great for quickly trying on different styles) Who are you doing this for, yourself or others? Really going to any clothing store can be a food start... well okay not any, some of them are terrible, but you will figure that out quickly. Online is an option too but beware of scams and that clothes almost never fit right. 

Also if you're interested makeup tutorials on youtube are good, but dear god start with the basics, don't freak yourself out with stuff like contouring or "10 step morning makeup routines" if you aren't used to makeup at all. In fact, you never have to do that if you don't want to. There are no hard and fast rules. I'm feminine but I almost never wear makeup at all, I hate makeup lol, but it's an option for people who want it. 

Also, if you go for a specific style or dress very feminine please don't beat yourself up feeling like you're feeding into stereotypes of womanhood. Emo, preppy, highly feminine women, etc. aren't making a mockery of women. You ARE a woman doing normal things, it might just not feel that way at first, there will be a dissonance in your head for a while, but over time with practice and self assurance you won't feel awkward anymore. I've gone through that myself, and it's actually normal even for woman who have never transitioned. I do believe the hill will be bigger for you because of your experiences, but I also believe you can walk past it same as anyone else. And if you decide in the end you're just not a very "feminine" person (because really, that can mean different things to different people anyway) that's fine too. 

Sorry for the mini essay <3

Well, on tumblr, where a lot of this modern gender discourse started in the 2010s, I remember it was eventually found out a lot of the crazier debates were actually people on 4chan starting drama and infighting on purpose. So, maybe it's really not that out of the question. 

So I didn't bind for very long but I will tell you, unfortunately I think the affects of ten years of binding (which, WOW!!) are probably very permanent without some sort of corrective surgery. You might need to discuss that with a Dr. 

I'm so sorry. Honestly binding shouldn't be normalized the way it is because it's so dangerous. 

As a woman with PCOS honestly it's kind of funny the way some people describe it. It's like they think we all look like we  naturally take testosterone. Like, I don't even have high testosterone first of all, T isn't the only androgen in the human body. And the levels aren't even close to "manly high" and I still have a normal level of estrogen. I'm just a normal woman with a few slight quirks really. 

Nope and it's a real and serious problem that people aren't talking about. Detransitioners have been co-opted on both sides of the political spectrum. The only people who are paying attention to them want to use them as an example for their own ideology. Realizing this is what actually drove me away from that part of of the trans movement. Treating people's real life stories like they're problems to be disposed of, or claiming they're inherently political propaganda meant to harm your cause, is deplorable. 

Seems like an extremely biased and modern take on a very natural and normal experience. 

I also find the idea that a woman's body SHOULD be "an enigmatic source of life and allure" to be much more degrading, misogynistic and alienating than a man seeing the true, raw reality of childbirth. This is venturing into woowoo "divine feminine" territory. 

Also a lot of weird assumptions about the feelings of the opposite gender that aren't necessarily realistic or helpful. 

I do find this funny as a I believe the more patriarchal the society/group the less willing men are to be witness to childbirth. I would sooner make the argument that men who view women as sexual objects want to continue doing so and thus the idea of witnessing a woman giving birth is more unappealing to them. I think that argument is flawed as well, but it honestly makes more sense than this.