When examining the cultural trends and social behaviors of Generation Z, certain patterns – such as heightened social awareness and increased time spent in the online world – stick out. At the same time, rates of depression and anxiety have skyrocketed this decade, prompting a closer analysis of how young people experience connection with others and self-identity. “People don’t get depressed when they face threats collectively; they get depressed when they feel isolated, lonely, or useless,” said Jonathan Haidt in his book The Anxious Generation.
A term coined in 2023, looksmaxxing has become a prevalent method for combating problems in life, attributing a lack of success in work, dating or social life to how one looks. The term is defined as maximizing physical appearance to meet a highly stylized, aesthetic ideal, often called a “Chad.” Appearance-altering practices can range from moderate self-care and hygiene to hardcore, potentially dangerous physical alterations designed to improve one’s facial structure and attractiveness. More serious looksmaxxing practices include surgical face alteration, starving oneself for leanness and getting hair transplants.
Looksmaxxing was repopularized by Kick livestreamer Braden Peters, better known online as Clavicular, in 2025. Clavicular has undergone multiple facial operations, is a regular user of methamphetamine, and has streamed himself using racial slurs and saluting Hitler. On Tuesday, Apr. 14, Clavicular suffered a drug overdose in a Miami Club.
As Clavicular’s notoriety has risen, an aesthetic ranking subculture has formed. It utilizes new terminology, including words like “mog” (to dominate, or look much better than) or “mewing” (jawline enhancement) to describe looksmaxxing practices. At its core, it combines evolutionary psychological ideas with the notion that appearance is much like a statistic. Members of this community assign numbers or tiers to certain people or looks, ranging from a low-tier “Normie” to a “Tier 3 Chad.”
Critics call out the dangers of reducing human worth to appearance alone, which fosters a culture of homogeneous looks and constant comparison in an age when insecurity among young men runs high. When young adults focus their attention narrowly on their perceived flaws, body dysmorphia, eating disorders and anxiety can easily arise.
Looksmaxxing has even spread to WJ. Students are looking to it for improved attractiveness and for fitness tips.
“Yeah, I bone smash,” junior August Schine said. “You apply constant pressure on bones on your face to stimulate growth. I take MK 677, which is a growth hormone secretagogue, and it increases your appetite and sleep for recovery.”
Members of the looksmaxxing community choose an ideal facial structure to emulate, setting a target goal for their practices to meet.
“I wanna look like Jordan Barrett,” Schine said.
Jordan Barrett is an Australian supermodel known for his contoured, sharp-jawed appearance. He, among other models and actors, has become a common reference point for these communities.
Other students take a more moderate approach to looksmaxxing.
“I just want motivation to lose weight,” junior Eoghan Moreland said.
Online communities and forums offer milder tips for improving general health and hygiene. Medical professionals find nothing wrong with self-improvement. It only becomes an issue when people become addicted to it, much as they would to gambling or drinking, therefore hindering their mental health and sending them further down the rabbit hole.
“I try to do the tips that they give here and there, just sleeping your eight hours, making sure you’re eating right, keeping your facial hair off, you know, all that stuff,” Moreland said. “They [males] just want to fit in, and they just want to feel better about themselves in society.”
