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But, the 鈥渕axxing鈥� trend has a dark side, leaning into the extremes of steroid use, plastic surgery, extreme dieting through 鈥渟travemaxxing,鈥� and even 鈥渂one smashing,鈥� the trend of breaking face bones in the hopes that they heal to look more “masculine.”

Experts warn that the latest聽viral trend is yet another example of young people being聽pressured on their insecurities and forming unrealistic expectations for their self-image.

What is mewing?

Mewing involves keeping your tongue on the roof of your mouth, while keeping your teeth just behind your top teeth and lips pressed together.

It’s part of a broader trend of “looksmaxxing” that fixates on certain physical features, creating and adopting a broad array of terms.

“Mogging” is often used to describe when someone appears more attractive than someone else, leading to the namesake for “Mogwarts,” an influencer-run online school meant to help students with skin care, looksmaxxing, dental care and hair care.

Looksmaxxers also fixate on the canthal tilt, or the tilt of someone’s eyes. A downward tilt is considered negative, while a positive tilt is tagged as desirable.

How did mewing start?

Mewing was created by British orthodontist Dr. John Mew and his son, Dr. Michael Mew, as part of the elder Mew鈥檚 alternative to traditional orthodontic practice. The younger Mew, whose TikToks on mewing have racked up billions of views, has since faced for advising potentially harmful treatment.

Mewing and the broader “looksmaxxing” trend started out in incel communities, Kaitlynn Mendes, a sociology professor at Western University and the Canada research chair in inequality and gender, told the Star.

“It’s linked to the idea that you have more success, more sexual success or romantic success, if you follow certain steps,” Mendes explained. “This is how you can optimize your looks to increase or enhance your sexual success.”

It’s since leaked into the mainstream, through manosphere icons like Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson, among other influencers that target boys and emphasize extreme stereotypes of masculinity. Manosphere sites and internet discussion groups are often focused on men’s interests and rights as opposed to women’s, and are often connected with opposition to feminism or dislike of women.聽

Is mewing dangerous?

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very low risk activity,鈥� Tim Caufield, a professor at the University of Alberta’s faculty of law and School of Public Health, said. 鈥淭he dangers associated with it are more about, the marketing, the pressure that comes with influencers who are trying to suggest that you need to maximize your appearance.鈥�

While mewing itself might be innocuous, it feeds into worsening self-esteem issues stemming from social media use among young people. By playing up those insecurities, trends like mewing can lead young people toward the more harmful parts of 鈥渓ooksmaxxing,鈥� Caufield warned.

Younger teens are especially vulnerable to the negative effects of social media, Gary Goldfield, a senior scientist at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, said, and while there鈥檚 no scientific research done on mewing specifically, that same effect probably applies.

Is looksmaxxing dangerous?

Aiming for unrealistic and unattainable esthetics can be an 鈥渆ntry point to extreme diets, to extreme exercise, maybe to the use of steroids, and other unhealthy activities, all for the purpose of esthetics,鈥� Caufield added.

None of this is new, he said. 鈥淭he wellness and beauty industry has used these strategies forever. Create insecurity, create a need and then provide a bogus solution to that need. And mewing, though it seems absurd and frivolous, is just part of that long destructive history.鈥�

Research from Goldfield and others has found that people who already have lower self-esteem are much more susceptible to negative social comparisons and body dissatisfaction, which can lead to eating disorders.

Algorithms can also catch onto self-esteem issues, Goldfield said, with some scientific reports that have found people interested in losing weight being targeted with pro-eating disorder websites.

It’s also part of a broader cycle that has trapped young people, Mendes said.聽

“People are increasingly making these videos because they’re looking for ways to bring attention to their platform and monetize themselves,” she explained. “So they’re incentivized to create this kind of content.”聽

The trend catches on when more young people make mewing and looksmaxxing videos, which is then fed back to other young people, especially young boys.

Mendes’ research has uncovered an increasing pressure shaming young people, young boys particularly, to match the often unattainable ideals of celebrities and athletes online.

How to talk to kids about mewing and self-esteem

The cliche that “beauty is skin deep” still applies to today’s generation, Goldfield emphasized.聽

Some parents might demand more education on self-image in schools, Goldfield said, but the message would echo similar campaigns that already exist.

Messaging from the 70s and 80s, warning against “unattainable sociocultural standards of attractiveness” remains an important and relevant reminder, he added, and aiming for those impossible standards sets young people up for dissatisfaction.

Enhancing appearances through lifestyle changes can be fine, Goldfield said, but 鈥渂alance and moderation are the key” and promoting activities and hobbies can lessen the pressure to fit in through appearances.聽

鈥淩eally one of the best ways to safeguard our children is to put them in activities, or have them develop some hobbies and interests, some skills that make them feel good about themselves, so they’re less reliant on social validation through appearance,鈥� he advised.