Project managers Grete Maria Avent and Johanna Allandi from President Kaljulaid's Foundation spoke about the culture of appearance spreading on social media and its impact on young people.

Avent and Allandi met with more than a thousand high school students across Estonia this spring. They discussed various social media trends and how these influence young people's understanding of masculinity, femininity, relationships, and beauty standards.

One of the most concerning recent trends is so‑called "looksmaxxing".

"It's a way of maximizing your appearance. Often with such extreme practices, the foundation they rely on isn't inherently negative. There's nothing wrong with paying a lot of attention to your appearance. But it becomes problematic when, for example, people use a hammer to create microfractures in their cheekbones or jaw so they will supposedly heal stronger and look more 'masculine,' even though there is absolutely no basis for this," said Avent.

However, this approach is spreading on social media and is actually being followed. "I've even seen an alternative where, if a hammer isn't available, people use their fists. You basically punch yourself in the face a few times and hope the bones grow back in a super-masculine shape," Avent added.

Another trend related to appearance is called "mewing", which also aims to make someone more "attractive." "Again, in itself it isn't particularly dangerous. Technically, it involves pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth, which slightly changes your facial features. It's not dangerous or violent, but since it belongs to a broader extreme movement focused on rapidly improving appearance, it all becomes part of a bigger picture where the boundaries between what is healthy and what is dangerous are not so easy to define," Avent explained.

While the trends mentioned mainly revolve around boys, for girls the issue of body image is also prominent. "We all know that girls struggle with eating disorders. In addition, injecting various fat-dissolving substances into the face is also part of this," added Allandi.

"The pressure of beauty standards starts very early. There's a clear message about how you're supposed to look in order to be the most beautiful and attractive," Avent said.

"Social media gives a very false impression of what a real person actually looks like. When we see those perfect bodies and faces, a 13-year-old might wonder why they don't look like that," Allandi noted.

Content promoting very rigid gender roles also reaches young people through social media. "In the so-called manosphere, many of the topics discussed are related to lifestyle issues — for example, money: how to earn it, where to invest, how much, crypto topics. I've seen stories suggesting that 'this 14-year-old boy made five thousand last week.' As a teenager, your first thought is 'I want that too,'" Avent said.

"I remember wanting independence as a teenager myself. It feels within reach, and one way young people seek that independence is through money. The opportunity to make money seems directly aimed at you."

According to Avent, teachers and parents should definitely avoid ridiculing young people. "Instead, ask why — why do you think that, where does this information come from, why do you believe it, where does the influencer you follow get their information? The 'why' question is the most important because it makes young people reflect."

"This is complicated, but there should be some awareness of the trends and risks currently circulating on social media. Fortunately, this is fairly well covered in Estonian-language media, but at President Kaljulaid's Foundation we've tried to focus particularly on teachers, because from our experience we've heard that students really want to talk about these issues, while teachers often lack the necessary knowledge," Avent added.

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