Why our obsession with ‘aesthetics’ may be unhealthy
Exploring identity is something many people do and a rite of passage for teens especially. But a new identity buzzword in social media circles is “aesthetic”.
Defined as having a sense of the beautiful, aesthetics are popularised visual, artistic, or lifestyle elements that reflect an expression, mood, identity, or a sense of community, and they can apply to an image, video or a person.
One example of a famous aesthetic still followed by millions is “cottagecore”, which uses country scenery, nostalgic floaty dresses, and artisan homewares to reflect the concept of living a rural lifestyle.
But countless others are taking Tiktok and Instagram by storm.
Psychologist Jocelyn Brewer says that aesthetic is just another word for being aligned with your values or a niche subculture.
“Humans do a complex dance between fitting in with a group or crew of people, and being different enough that they have their own identity within that,” she says.
“Being too different, not just in your look or vibe but also your ideas and opinions, ons, is also a delicate balance between being accepted or being cast out from the group.”
Brewer says that apps and better quality ty smartphone cameras no doubt contribute to the he idea of a polished aesthetic, c making it easy, even expected, that everyone should have a polished “look” and be consistent with it.
Aesthetics also have rules, with some experts believing that selfimposed impose pressure to meet expectations expe can lead to bu burnout. Brewer says it’s it important to r remember that rules are a made up, not static s and not u unbreakable, and you can ca make up your own set of o them aligned to your unique un collection of values. values “The key is not to put so much emphasis on getting it ‘right’ as opposed to noticing what you are comfortable with, what’s too edgy, and when you’re trying too hard to keep up,” she explains.
“The risk here is that the aesthetic becomes vacuously obsessed with the external and materialistic rather than the messiness of the human experience.”
TOP TIPS
1 Tune into what aesthetics work for you and what you feel comfortable with.
2 Find joy in being perfectly imperfect. Focus less on the external and more on your intrinsic values.
3 Follow fewer social media accounts and regularly shake things up to have new influences.