The rapid development of target lifestyles online

The use of social media in an increasingly digitalised world has witnessed the glorification of certain lifestyles as trends. These ways of living appear as quickly as they go, replaced by yet another. From the unreachable ‘clean girl’ aesthetic to the somewhat relatable ‘messy girl’ vibe, there always seems to be a certain lifestyle society should adhere to remain on top of current online trends. With this article, I aim to dismantle the deeper implications of this phenomenon and analyse its meaning.

Doesn’t a rejection of the picture-perfect life open the gates to a new unreachable lifestyle?

The ‘clean girl’ journals and wakes up at 6am for a productive start to her day with a green juice that keeps her porcelain skin and voluminous hair intact. Every time we open platforms such as TikTok, we are confronted with this splendidly curated narration of what a straight-up “clean” life should look like. We as a society, especially the younger generation, willingly give into it. Whether this strive towards being perceived as in line with the current lifestyle manifests through overconsumption of certain clothing, shoes – even water bottles (hinting towards the insane hype around the famous Stanley Cup) or through a change in our routines, there is a clear attempt to mimic these modelled lifestyles.

Nevertheless, recently, certain creators have started to reject this ‘clean girl’ persona, claiming authenticity and demonstrating their feral, messy routines. However, we must ask ourselves before blindly obeying yet another role model – is there even comfort in this declaration against the clean girl? Doesn’t a rejection of the picture-perfect life open the gates to a new unreachable lifestyle: the romanticisation of messiness?

To draw attention to an example, the rise and maintenance of fame of TikTok star Alix Earle shall be reflected upon. Her initial popularity grew through content such as “Get ready with me” videos and styling outfits – thus clearly preaching a put together, organised, fun, yet clean lifestyle. Nevertheless, over the course of her career, Alix completely changed her online appearance to a platform of genuineness. Evidence of her acne, clustered apartment, hangovers, and most importantly the introduction of her podcast, Hot Mess, reveals how she is redesigning her role in media.

Even at its most “authentic”, social media can never be truly real

Yet, whilst her realness is appreciated and welcomed as a refreshing change to the inaccessible ‘clean girl’, we mustn’t be fooled. The depiction of Alix’s life is still governed by her. Who is to dictate what a curated mess in comparison to a real one looks like? This way of looking at the phenomenon shows even in the distancing from one unreachable lifestyle, the next one just becomes introduced – a constant cycle, one could argue.

Turning lifestyles into trends is an occurrence that shouldn’t be accepted lightly. Whilst it is so easy to fall into the trap of wanting to be “that” person as showcased online, we need to remind ourselves that even at its most “authentic”, social media can never be truly real. Creators pick and choose how they want to be presented. The core of the problem lies within the fact that everyone, including influencers, is aiming to be perceived in a certain way. This strive to become someone else entirely and fit in with the current lifestyle taking over the internet will only lead to a cyclical downfall, simply because the end goal will never be reached. This awakes a constant unwinnable battle to keep up with fast, changing internet trends, and feeds into materialistic issues such as overconsumption, but also impacts mental health. We begin to feel as if our life is never good enough, simply because it doesn’t align with the currently popular way of living.

The goal should be to break free from this vicious cycle, and understand that true contentment does not come from unrealistic lifestyles online, but from the creation of our own.