Graduation Year
2023
Date of Submission
4-2023
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Intercollegiate Media Studies
Reader 1
Kevin Moffett
Reader 2
James Morrison
Rights Information
2023 James D. Cockburn
Abstract
As social media becomes more ubiquitous in our cultural existence as humans it plays an increasingly large role in the formation and expression of identity. On many social media platforms, the way people look is emphasized, with more attractive people garnering the most attention. This results in the phenomenon of upward social comparison, which leads to the lowering of self-esteem. Social media and the internet also enable the spread of information and ideologies, which has resulted in the propagation of pessimistic and misogynistic world views in in communities that make up the manosphere. One popular topic on the manosphere is mewing. Mewing is a concept that claims that people can improve their facial structure by holding their tongue in the proper position on the the roof of the mouth, breathing only through their nose, swallowing and chewing properly, and maintaining good posture. While mewing has the potential to make a positive impact on society, it’s association with the perceptions encompassed in the Manosphere and the resistance from institutional systems of orthodontics to engage in scientific review have hampered its growth to become a staple of western health care.
Recommended Citation
Cockburn, Jamie, "Portrait of an Insecure Young Man; An Exploration of the Online Propagation of Mewing" (2023). CMC Senior Theses. 3280.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/3280
