The Psychology of your 20s 348. The psychology of 'skinnytok'
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Oct 30, 2025 The rise of skinnytok is explored, revealing its shocking influence on beauty standards. Discussions link it to orthorexia, the moralization of food, and societal pressures on female bodies. The impact of weight loss drugs and social media algorithms on aesthetic ideals is highlighted. Rising eating disorders are connected to increased exposure to these trends. Practical advice to counteract skinnytok's effects includes awareness of the content you consume and focusing on personal values, ultimately advocating for joy and normal eating.
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How Skinnytok Spreads Via Shock And Novelty
- "Skinnytok" is a viral social-media trend glamorizing extreme thinness under the guise of lifestyle content.
- Shocking visuals and novelty drive engagement and train algorithms to amplify harmful dieting messages.
Actively Curate Your Feed
- Notice the tone and tactics of content and pause before you absorb it.
- Use platform tools like "not interested," unfollow, or block to change your algorithmic feed.
Thinness As Discipline And Moral Signal
- Skinnytok uses body-checking and moralized food talk to turn appearance into entertainment and virtue signaling.
- Creators present restriction as discipline, equating thinness with moral superiority.