Social media is the most powerful tool of communication in 2023. Traditional forms of media have fallen behind in creating trends as ordinary people are quick to create their own on these platforms.
Gen Z is currently heavily influenced by trends that fit a certain “it girl” aesthetic. Whether that’s another clean girl look from Hailey Bieber or the use of certain skin care products in GRWM videos, Gen Z is all about being on trend.
Trends have existed throughout time in fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and even toys when we were kids but the rise of TikTok has certainly boosted the magnitude of trends – making a huge shift in the fashion and beauty industry.
Social media has gotten great at creating FOMO (fear of missing out). It creates the illusion that you’re missing out if you’re not hopping on the newest trend, style, or product immediately. As the trend cycle gets shorter and shorter with new trends being created weekly, it’s easy for teens and young adults to lose a sense of individuality as they’re chasing the next socially “acceptable” style.
This evolution and rapid cycles of social media have created a new era in the world of fashion and beauty, where anyone can set new trends and become the next it-girl to walk the runway.
Anyone can influence
The power of influence has significantly shifted from media to the ordinary person filming videos in their bedroom as younger generations have grown tired of unrealistic advertising campaigns. This is where the influence of an ordinary person shows. People want to hear from ordinary people instead of celebrities and massive publications that feel distant for the modern consumer. Relatability is the new trend. People feel like they can’t trust mainstream media anymore, so they’ve turned to seek advice and tips from each other. This is why anyone can be more influential than a magazine in 2023 – people want to hear from people they can relate to.
These modern influencers and content creators who started as regular people sharing beauty and fashion, now have a huge influence on what people wear, how people do their makeup, and what product sells. Advertising has shifted from publications to people with brands putting more and more of their marketing budget towards influencers. Media and publications have a hard time keeping up and reinventing themselves when the average person goes to TikTok to learn about the latest fashion trends.
Loss of personal style & lack of inclusivity
The impact of social media and trends also comes with its downsides. People and brands give influence to people who fit the beauty standard and the current trend cycle, often excluding people of color, different genders, sizes, and other minority groups. The trend cycle and algorithm heavily favor white skinny women with luscious long hair and perfect skin. Looks overpower talent.
However, different communities have formed within social media such as makeup content focusing on darker skin tones, making creators in this niche very influential to that specific community. Publications rarely share makeup tips for deeper skin tones or styling tips for plus-size people, so creators in these niches have become the experts proving that anyone can influence.
Another aspect of social media’s impact on fashion is the loss of personal style. Trends on social media heavily decide what most people wear these days – making individuality a thing of the past. People want to dress like their favorite it-girls to fit in with the surrounding society as there is a huge pressure for women to look and present themselves in a certain way.
No more gatekeeping
The fashion and beauty industry used to be one of the most exclusive things to exist, but social media has slowly opened doors and made this industry more accessible to the average person. Opportunities in the industry used to be reserved for people with money and access to contacts and agencies – connections were gatekept and created in exclusive environments. Nowadays, ordinary people can connect with brands and agencies through social media and brands can utilize social media to build trust and a relationship with their consumers increasing brand awareness and sales.
Social media allows people to share their creativity and talent with the world – allowing them to be discovered. The world of fashion and beauty has been democratized through people deciding what deserves to be seen. The industry is no longer for the exclusive group of people but for everyone wanting to break in. New designers, models, painters, and people from different creative industries are constantly being discovered on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. The power of people is now bigger than the power of publications. Thousands of people come together on social media platforms to support creatives they find interesting and want to see break into this industry with models and designers being discovered this way.
Conclusion
Social media is shaping the world of fashion and beauty more and more every day by setting trends and making anyone an impactful figure. There’s a whole world of downsides that social media comes with including the homogenization of personal style – a topic we’ll get to in another post.
