Strawberry girl, “clean girl” aesthetic and Barbiecore are only a number of the many trends that graced the web beauty space up to now yr. While trends will inevitably shift and evolve, the speed with which we at the moment are cycling through these aesthetics suggests that we’re looking for something greater than only a flattering lipstick shade. As we chase each fleeting trend, this compulsion to interact tells us loads about loneliness and our modern-day craving for belonging, human connection and community.

Our fascination with trending topics is more deep-rooted than one might think, in line with Taryn Thrasher, a psychology lecturer at California State University Long Beach. “Humans are predisposed to hunt recent things,” she explains. “It triggers the reward centres in our brains, so when there’s a recent trend, there just isn’t only a chance to cultivate a way of belonging, but there’s also a neurochemical reward for achieving appreciation from fellow community members once you’ve got successfully replicated the trend. Validation from others reinforces participation in trends and contributes to the cycle of virality that we see in social media today.”

After we take part in trends, we change into contributors to the conversation fairly than observers, which makes us feel more connected to community, like-minded people and society as an entire. Participation allows for us to receive positive affirmations from our digital circles and, in cases reminiscent of TikTok and Instagram, strangers across the web. These affirmations can bolster a positive sense of self. Following trends may result in a way of solidarity, in line with a 2022 study done on the positive impacts of social media.

In other words, the more we take part in trends, the more included we feel and the more socialising we do. “If someone is accepted into trending culture, it increases their opportunity to interact with others and hence increases their social interactions,” says Destyn Jones, a psychology trainee on the University of Ohio. This is essential because humans are wired with an intrinsic have to affiliate with others and be socially accepted, and having this sense of belonging is integral to our emotional and physical health. Prolonged loneliness can result in depression and anxiety and has similar health risks as smoking – and it’s rising. In 2022, almost half of adults in the UK (49.6 per cent) reported feeling lonely, while seven per cent experienced chronic loneliness.

A part of the issue is that we’re losing our physical third spaces and are increasingly turning to social media to search out community and satisfy our need for belonging. The web beauty space has the potential to supply people a way of community with its shade-match reviews, area of interest and diverse representation, celebration of gender expansion, judgement-free remedies for skin concerns and physically accessible beauty routines. With a purpose to gain access to this world, nonetheless, it could feel obligatory to take part in every trend and micro-niche aesthetic that goes viral, together with all the brand new products and pressures they entail.

Like all things on this consumer-driven world, there are financial barriers to participation at different levels of the wonder sphere. And while beauty products are inclined to be more cost-effective than fashion – particularly with its dupe culture which has largely eliminated the shame around choosing lower-priced items – having one’s sense of community depending on consumerism means the sense of belonging can feel shallow and fickle.

One other downside of cyber communities lies within the algorithms. As social feeds filter in additional of what we like, chosen communities can change into an echo chamber that favours eurocentric beauty features, meaning lots of those that come to those spaces to search out solace are pushed to the margins. Taking the “clean girl aesthetic”, for instance: as a trend, it largely pulled from Black and Latinx beauty practices, nevertheless it selected to centre the (mostly white) those that once scrutinised these communities for his or her gold hoops, slicked buns, clear gloss and lined lips. 

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“Once you search the trend, you’ve got to scroll for some time before you see a non-white woman. It takes even longer to search out a Black woman with dark skin,” says Thrasher. Jones agrees, saying that “not everyone’s involvement in trends is socially accepted – some are cyberbullied and others may not find a way to afford the products which can be deemed obligatory to keep up the desirable aesthetic or lifestyle, making trend participation in some cases a mirrored image of privilege.”

If participation improves a way of belonging, lack of visibility or complete exclusion from trends can, in turn, increase feelings of isolation. When a person’s participation just isn’t celebrated within the mainstream conversation, which is commonly measured by the quantifiable success of their content, it could trigger questions of self-worth and desirability.

Try as we’d, nobody is proof against the social pressures that influence our connection to the collective. The sweetness landscape, though not alone in its social influence, can reveal the character of social connection on this ever-advancing digital world. As we proceed to take part in trends, whether or not it’s for self-exploration and creativity, or for community and a spotlight, know that this human desire is natural and inevitable. With a purpose to create a stable and lasting sense of belonging and connection, nonetheless, it might be time to sign off, opt out of the most recent blueberry milk nails trend, and put our energy into spending time with people IRL.