Concerns about appearance are common among young people, but they can become more troubling when online communities turn those insecurities into resentment, entitlement and hostility towards women, according to Clinical Psychologist Dr Jennifer Menon, founder of Mind in Mind Psychology.
Dr Menon says the growing popularity of “looksmaxxing” deserves attention because some young men may encounter online content that goes beyond appearance and self-improvement, linking physical attractiveness with personal worth and attitudes towards relationships.
What Is Looksmaxxing?
Looksmaxxing describes efforts to improve physical appearance through activities such as grooming, exercise, fashion and styling. In some cases, it can also involve more extreme attempts to change one’s appearance.
Dr Menon emphasises that looksmaxxing itself is not necessarily harmful. Wanting to become fitter, improve one’s appearance or feel more confident can be a normal part of self-improvement.
The concern arises when appearance-related insecurity becomes connected to harmful online narratives. These messages may suggest that a young man’s physical appearance determines his value, that women are responsible for rejecting him, or that he is somehow entitled to receive attention from women.
How Can Looksmaxxing Become Linked to Misogyny?
Looksmaxxing can sometimes overlap with the wider online “manosphere”, where conversations about masculinity, dating and self-improvement may intersect with misogynistic ideas.
Dr Menon referred to the University of Melbourne’s June 2026 report, Misogyny, Online Radicalisation, and Youth Extremism in Australia. The report found that approximately one in three teenage boys believed efforts to provide women with equal opportunities had gone too far. Nearly one in four also agreed that feminism was damaging society and should, if necessary, be opposed through violence.
Researchers connected misogynistic attitudes with engagement in manosphere content, pornography and online dating. Teachers also reported encountering students who repeated language associated with influencers such as Andrew Tate.
What Can Parents Do?
Dr Menon recommends that parents respond with curiosity rather than shame when they notice a teenager becoming increasingly focused on appearance or online content.
A conversation can begin by asking what the young person is watching, what he thinks about the material and whether it is actually helping him feel more confident or instead making him feel worse about himself.
Young men may need support when dealing with confidence issues, loneliness and rejection. At the same time, adults can help them recognise the point at which self-improvement content stops promoting health and confidence and begins encouraging resentment towards others.
Supporting Healthy Self-Esteem
The desire to improve one’s appearance is not inherently problematic. However, ordinary insecurities can take a more concerning direction when they become intertwined with toxic online narratives.
Open conversations, emotional support and critical awareness can help young people navigate this content. Approaching teenagers with understanding rather than shame can also create an environment where they feel comfortable discussing their insecurities while learning to distinguish healthy self-improvement from content that promotes resentment and misogyny.