Blog 4 Post: "The Captivating Derangement of the Looksmaxxing Movement,"

Learning about McLuhan and his idea that “the medium is the message,” is very interesting and honestly, the looksmaxxing movement is one of the clearest examples of what he was talking about. At first, it might just seem like a weird or extreme internet trend, however when you look at it more closely, it shows how social media is changing the way people see themselves and their bodies. The looksmaxxing movement is all about trying to improve your appearance to increase your “sexual market value.” People involved in it go to extreme lengths, like reshaping their faces, obsessing over measurements, or even doing things like “bone-smashing” to get a better jawline. It sounds insane, but what’s more interesting is why people are doing this in the first place. It’s not just about wanting to look better. It’s about how social media has changed the way we understand beauty.

This is where McLuhan’s idea really comes in. He argues that media don’t just send messages, they actually change how we experience the world. In this case, social media has made everything way more visual. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are built around appearance, comparison, and constant exposure. Because of that, people start to see themselves differently. Instead of just being a person, you become something to look at, judge, and improve. What stood out to me is how the body gets treated almost like a project or a set of data. People aren’t just saying “I want to look good.” They’re breaking down their faces into ratios, angles and measurements. It’s like they’re turning themselves into a math problem. That kind of thinking doesn’t just come from nowhere. It comes from being in a media environment where everything is ranked, compared, and optimized.

Another thing that connects to McLuhan is the idea that media extend our senses. Social media extends our ability to see ourselves, but not in a normal way. It’s like seeing yourself through other people’s eyes all the time. You’re constantly aware of how you look, how you compare, and how you might be judged. That creates a kind of pressure where you feel like you always need to improve or fix something. This also connects to the Canadian way of thinking about technology that we talked about in class. Instead of blaming individuals, it focuses on how the environment shapes behavior. The people in the looksmaxxing movement aren’t just randomly making bad choices. They’re reacting to a system that constantly tells them that their value is based on how they look. When you’re surrounded by that kind of messaging all the time, it starts to feel normal.

However, the movement is kind of ironic. A lot of people in it claim they’re exposing the truth about beauty and showing that it’s not natural. But instead of escaping those standards, they end up creating even stricter ones. Beauty becomes something that has to be calculated and perfected, which honestly feels even more extreme than regular beauty standards. Overall, I think this movement shows just how powerful social media really is. It’s not just influencing what people think is attractive. It’s changing how people see themselves at a deeper level. The body becomes something to analyze and improve instead of just something you live in. That’s exactly what McLuhan meant when he said media change our perception and not just our ideas. In the end, looksmaxxing might seem like an extreme or niche trend, but it actually reveals something bigger. It shows how the digital media environment is shaping identity, self-worth, and even how people experience their own bodies. And honestly, that’s kind of unsettling, because it means this isn’t just about a few people online. It’s about the direction our whole media culture is heading.