Will Being ‘Ugly’ Be Aspirational One Day?

Just as Instagram’s rise amplified the world’s obsession with physical aesthetics, avatars that abstract our physical selves can decrease it. A focus on our physical appearances is arbitrary: does it matter that I am attractive? That you are? Why? How is the conversation we have different if I mask my gender, age, ethnicity, shape?

Older bodies and faces are increasingly devalued, as people associate age with decreased health, regeneration, or energy. Sure, aging indeed comes with natural health considerations, but the lack of value or appreciation for aging is a byproduct of a culture enamored with youth.

The world can feel very out of control, especially for younger people. And controlling your own body is a coping mechanism. Part of the solution, if there is one, is to educate about this. There's so much out there right now about diet culture, and no one is really talking about beauty culture in the same way.

At the same time, a lot of this would b... See more

But the aesthetic has become so saturated and manufactured, that a new generation of consumers are painting an entirely new canvas. And it ain't pretty. I've personally been referring to the aesthetic as "intentional ugly"