Aesthetic: Subcultures in an Offline-Online Reality

Abstract

Introduction: The term “Aesthetic” underwent a significant change in 2020, going from being a little-known concept to a common phenomenon on social networks. Its use became popular among generations Z and Alpha, reflecting a new paradigm in digital communication. This concept emerged in a context of confinement, where interactions moved to the digital, blurring the boundaries between offline and online reality. The study set out to define and analyze the “Aesthetic” phenomenon within this new social and cultural dynamic.
Development: From a theoretical approach, the article explored concepts such as subcultures and cultural industries, analyzing how Aesthetics can represent social movements, but also suffer a loss of their original meaning when they are aestheticized and commercialized. It was identified that technology and social networks played a key role in the diffusion of Aesthetics, functioning as spaces of interaction where users not only consume content, but also produce and transform it.
The study identified essential characteristics of Aesthetics, such as the materialization of values in visual elements and their exchange on social networks. An analysis model was developed that explained how these concepts evolve and adapt according to the interaction of prosumers. An exemplary case was the “Coquette Aesthetic”, whose popularity grew to the point of influencing political campaigns and generating derivations such as the “Tumbette”.
Conclusion: The article concluded that Aesthetics, although they may represent subcultures, are influenced by the culture industry, which dilutes their original values. Their fluidity and short duration raise questions about their impact on youth identity and globalized culture. In addition, the extent to which these phenomena can be used to aestheticize social problems was questioned, as well as whether they really constitute a new form of cultural identity or just a passing trend driven by the market.