So, let’s talk
about something we all see every time we glance at our phones or walk through a
mall: the absolute obsession with "the aesthetic."
If you feel
like the world has changed a lot in just the last few years, you’re not
imagining it. Whether you’re a guy trying to figure out if you need a 10-step
skincare routine or a girl wondering why everyone is suddenly obsessed with
"glass skin" and vintage digital cameras, the fascination of today’s
youth is a wild, fast-moving target.
It’s not just
about "being cool" anymore. It’s about being curated.
The "Aesthetic" Trap
Remember when
you’d just put on a hoodie and jeans and go out? Now, for many girls, it’s
about the "Clean Girl" look or "Coquette" style. For guys,
it’s "Old Money" or "Streetwear."
We’ve moved
into an era where your personality is often packaged into a visual category.
It’s fascinating because, on one hand, it’s a great way to express yourself. On
the other hand, it feels like a full-time job. You can’t just buy a coffee; you
have to buy the right coffee that fits your vibe, take a photo of it at
the perfect angle, and post it with a song that makes your life look like a
movie.
Why Guys are Suddenly Into Skincare (and Gym Culture)
Let’s look at
the guys for a second. If you told a teenage boy twenty years ago that he’d be
watching "Get Ready With Me" videos or debating the merits of
hyaluronic acid, he’d probably look at you like you were from Mars.
But today,
there’s this massive fascination with self-optimization. It’s not just
about looking good; it’s about "maxxing." You’ve got
"looksmaxxing" (improving your physical appearance) and
"biomaxxing" (perfecting your sleep, diet, and gym gains).
There is a huge
pressure on young men today to be the "Alpha" version of
themselves—highly productive, physically fit, and financially successful. While
wanting to be better is great, it’s also exhausting. You see guys spending
hours at the gym not just for health, but for that perfect "shredded"
look that plays well on camera.
The Digital Mirror: Why We Can’t Put the Phones Down
The biggest
fascination for both girls and boys today is, without a doubt, the digital
self.
Think about it:
we have two lives now. There’s the you that eats cereal in pajamas, and then
there’s the "Digital You" that lives on Instagram, TikTok, or BeReal.
Today’s generation is fascinated with how they are perceived by people they
don’t even know.
- The Validation Loop: We post a photo, we get a like,
we get a hit of dopamine.
- The Comparison Game: It’s so easy to feel like you’re
falling behind when you see a 19-year-old on your feed living in a
penthouse or a girl who looks like a supermodel every single morning.
This
fascination with digital perfection has made us more connected than ever, but
also strangely lonely. We’re experts at talking at each other through
comments and memes, but sometimes we’ve forgotten how to just be
together without a screen involved.
Relationship Goals and "The Ick"
The way boys
and girls look at dating has shifted, too. We’ve traded "meeting at a party"
for "sliding into DMs."
There’s this
weird fascination with "the ick"—that tiny, insignificant thing
someone does that suddenly makes them unattractive. It’s like we’re looking for
reasons to swipe left because we think the "perfect" person is just
one more scroll away.
But at the same
time, there’s a deep romanticism. You see girls fascinated with "soft
life" and "romanticizing your life." It’s a pushback against the
chaos of the world. People want peace, cozy dates, and someone who actually
listens.
The "Hustle" and the "Soft Life"
If you talk to
a group of young people today, you’ll notice two very different fascinations
competing for their attention:
- The Hustle: The "hustle culture" is
still huge. The idea that you need to have a side hustle, invest in
crypto, or be an influencer by 20. It’s a fascination with freedom and not
wanting to work a 9-to-5 job like their parents did.
- The Soft Life: On the flip side, there’s a
growing fascination with slowing down. This is especially big with girls
right now—the idea of "prioritizing peace over productivity."
It’s about skincare, reading books, making matcha, and refusing to
participate in the "rat race."
Nostalgia for a Time We Never Knew
Perhaps the
most ironic fascination of today’s youth is the obsession with the past.
Why are
18-year-olds buying vinyl records and film cameras? Why are "Y2K"
fashion and 90s baggy jeans back in style? It’s because there’s a collective
fascination with a time that feels "real."
In a world that
is increasingly AI-generated and filtered, anything that feels authentic—a
grainy photo, a scratched record, a thrifted shirt—becomes incredibly valuable.
Boys and girls are looking for anchors in a world that feels like it’s moving
too fast.
Is All This Fascination a Good Thing?
It’s easy for
older generations to look at today’s youth and say they’re "shallow"
or "obsessed with themselves." But if you look closer, you see
something else.
You see a
generation that is:
- Incredibly creative: Give a kid a phone and they can
edit a movie that would have taken a studio weeks to make twenty years
ago.
- Self-aware: They talk about mental health,
boundaries, and "red flags" in ways that previous generations
never did.
- Adaptive: They are navigating a world where
the rules change every week based on a new algorithm.
The fascination
isn't just about vanity; it's about identity. When the world feels
unstable—politically, economically, and environmentally—your "vibe"
is the one thing you can control.
The Bottom Line
At the end of
the day, whether it’s a boy obsessed with his bench press or a girl obsessed
with her "Pinterest-perfect" bedroom, it all comes down to the same
human need: to belong and to be seen.
We’re all just
trying to figure out who we are in a very loud, very crowded digital room. We
want to be the best version of ourselves, even if we occasionally get lost in
the filters along the way.
So, next time
you see someone taking ten minutes to photograph their avocado toast, don’t
roll your eyes too hard. They’re just trying to find a bit of beauty in a messy
world. We all are.
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