On the surface, a movement prompting young men to enhance their physical looks and boost their self-esteem might seem harmless, even beneficial. However, experts caution that the rapidly rising trend of looksmaxxing carries a sinister aspect.
Recently resurfacing on platforms such as Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok, looksmaxxing has become a trend among men aiming to refine their physical appearance.
This trend divides the strategies for improving one’s appearance into two distinct categories: “softmaxxing” and “hardmaxxing.”
Within this community, individuals are rated on a scale where the highest attainable score is an eight, classifying someone as a “chad.” In contrast, scoring a zero labels them as “subhuman,” rendering them undesirable.
“I can’t fathom why anyone would subject themselves to that environment,” remarked Moss.
“There’s an intense focus on meticulous attention to detail, coupled with an obsession over numbers. Participants are encouraged to track their progress meticulously,” he explained.
“That is a pretty key trait in body dysmorphic disorder.”
The online harms of looksmaxxing
The ‘looksmaxxer’ at the forefront of the trend, Clavicular, has more than 400,000 Instagram followers and told The New York Times he makes more than $100,000 a month streaming on Kick, helping push the trend further into the public eye.
“Clavicular (was) on the front of GQ magazine and walking in fashion shows, it’s definitely become more of a pop culture phenomenon rather than something that just exists in fringe spaces online,” Fisher added.
“Now what we’re seeing is this passive consumption of content.
“If you’re a young guy and sign up for a TikTok account, there has been research that has shown that within 30 seconds, you are going to be pushed content that is misogynistic, has drug, youth-related themes, or suicide and self-harm themes.”
Fisher says looksmaxxers who offer courses to impressionable teens are targeting a young and “insecure” audience.
“They’re not only financially taking advantage of these young people, but what it’s also creating is this significant amount of shame and secrecy.”
“Even if it does change one’s physical appearance, it doesn’t really fix or alleviate the root of the issue, like body image concerns, low self-esteem and self-worth,” she said.
If you or someone you know is in need of support contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue.
In the event of an emergency dial Triple Zero (000).
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