The other day I was on TikTok and saw a video captioned “Which Presidential Scandal Are You?” I swiped through Watergate, The Clinton Affair and The Reagan Crack Epidemic, looking at the cute clothes and trinkets assigned to each title. The video was obviously a commentary on the saturation of aesthetics on Tik Tok and the internet but it was still fun to participate, it did make me stop to think “why has this obsession with categorization taken over?” 

 Within the last year there has been an uprising of “aesthetic culture” on the internet. With terms such as “tomato girl”, “coastal grandma” ,“coquette”, “cottage core” and other hyper-specific aesthetic categories becoming popularized across platforms one might wonder why gen Z, the generation known for its subversive outlook on labels, is creating countless boxes used to simplify personal identity.

Many people feel the pressure of individuality, seeing “basic” as a negative term, but still feel the instinctual need to belong in a group. Being able to rebrand many mainstream trends has allowed people to feel self-important due to the hyperspecificity of the aesthetic they resonate with. This can be a good thing, creating community online for those who feel out of place elsewhere. For example the “Nymph” aesthetic, popularized on early tumblr,  provided a space for queer, bipoc and mainly femme individuals to connect over a shared interest in a dreamy fairy-like aesthetic that they were often denied due to the bias and racism that grips beauty standards. Over time this aesthetic was poached from its original participants and went from “waif” to “coquette” both of which promoted pale skin and very thin body types. It is necessary to acknowledge how aesthetic culture online has always been seen through the lens of a western ideal and rarely includes depictions that differ from that, even if the romanticized entity does not fall under that umbrella, the process of romanticization on TikTok seems to parallel the westernization of the same muse. 

In the summer of 2022 “spanish girl summer” was a circulating trend that depicted colorful adobe buildings, flowy skirts and embroidery, gold jewelry, sacred hearts and spanish style architecture. There were an abundance of symbols that are associated with Latine culture yet almost all of the individuals featured in these videos or images were white, teetering the line between appropriation and appreciation of the style, especially due to the flawed categorization of its title. As stated before the aesthetic was named “Spanish girl summer” yet multiple videos utilized scenes from Mexico, Colombia and other Latin American countries. The title of Spanish, associated with Europe, allowed the white consumer to emulate this style without guilt or consciousness surrounding the conversation on cultural appropriation. That is where a problem appears with viewing everything through the lens of aesthetics. Diminishing a culture to an aesthetic will no doubt lead to appropriation and the enforcement of stereotypes. It also conveys the message that when this aesthetic loses its relevance in media and those who conform to it move on to the next, that, in turn, the culture will also lose the relevance and visibility. 

Culture being diminished to a trend that gains and loses popularity is only the beginning of the troubles. Through this aesthetic epidemic we see culture, body types, class and other ‘born into’ markers of identity  become fluttering trends, moving so fast that they are impossible to achieve, no doubt a part of the prestige. This constant shifting of categories for identities has created a paradox to simultaneously conform and be unique. Pressure from aesthetic communities and constant romanticization can be extremely dangerous, especially for young women. From the constant promotion of eating disorders and the romanticization of poor mental health to ecological damage, it is clear that there is significant real world harm caused by these internet trends. Rather than address damages many people choose to ignore them due to the potential for capital. With each new trend comes a new round of products to sell and consumers to buy.

Overconsumption has become a major problem facing the United States, and social media, especially TikTok, is not helping. A poll conducted by London based fashion company, Shift, found that 74% of people ages 14-17 had felt pressured to purchase new clothing after watching haul videos on TikTok, while 66% stated their purchases increased since they had gotten the app. Previously trend cycles moved on a 6-8 month scale, generally aligning with Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer. Now trend cycles are turning over in as little as 90 days on TikTok. This creates a massive issue with fast fashion and waste when items have such a short lifespan. What some people are failing to realize is how the aesthetic they desire to feel special has been commodified, turning self-expression into boxes for a consumer to fit into.

In the end this doesn’t mean that all hope is lost to achieve that certain “look” you hold close to your heart. It just means that mindfulness is a necessity in an age of overwhelming amounts of media and expectations. Although cutting down purchases is a great way to make an impact, so is choosing to thrift or purchasing from ethical and sustainable brands. One must deconstruct their idea of categorization to create a more inclusive view of beauty in the many factions aesthetics have produced. I know these options may sound tiresome but it is necessary to put a microscope up to how media trends actually manifest in our real lives. It’s time to reassess our personal relationships with consumption and the pressure felt by society’s obsession with beauty, for our own good and for future generations.

Reach writer Ada Capecchi at musemediauw@gmail.com. Instagram @capecchiii