What is looksmaxxing and should I be worried?

There’s a lot of it on social media. Those images and clips of what we’re told is male perfection.

Gleaming teeth, the latest fashions, spending tons of cash on a busy lifestyle and still finding time to build bulging biceps.

More and more teenage boys and young men are led to believe that being physically strong, confident to the point of arrogance, and treating women as though they're not important is the best way to live. And once you've seen a few of these posts, the algorithm on your socials will show you more.

This is part of a trend called looksmaxxing, where people are judged entirely by their appearance. If you don’t fit into what the looksmaxxing community says is acceptable, then advice is shared on the different ways you can change your appearance to fit in and look like a ‘chad’.

Putting forward techniques and theories without any basis in medical or scientific evidence is a form of disinformation.

With concerns over looksmaxxing growing, BBC Bitesize Other Side of the Story has joined forces with Centre for Young Lives, an organisation working to help young people across the UK, to share information and advice.

This activity is a chance for you to find out more about looksmaxxing, what people are saying about it online and the experts' view.

There are more looksmaxxing terms than we can cover in one activity - find out which ones you know with this set of interactive flashcards.

It's also a chance for you to test yourself as a looksmaxxing recap. How much do you remember from the interactive activity?

If you are aware of the looksmaxxing world, or you're tempted to become part of it, please remember that there are plenty of experienced and official experts who have found no evidence that its methods work.

There is no official way of measuring how physically attractive somebody is - whoever you may form a special relationship with, it happens naturally and has nothing to do with where somebody features on a scale.

Details of support with mental health are available at BBC Action Line.

This article was published in September 2026

Not sure if the news you’re seeing on social media is true or false? Can you always tell if the things you see online are real or fake?

Learn how to get the other side of the story with our quizzes, videos and explainers about media skills and viral trends including popular food myths.