let's talk about the rise of ‘-core’ and ‘girl’ aesthetics

Summary by Krater

An exploration of how internet subcultures, micro-aesthetics, and online trends like "girl dinner," "tomato girl summer," and blueberry milk nails have been co-opted and monetized by the mainstream.

From the video

Answers: Have subcultures and internet aesthetics been killed by the internet and fast fashion?

• Internet subcultures
• Micro-aesthetics
• Consumerism and trends
• Gen Z fashion
• Vaporwave aesthetics
• Health Goth aesthetic

What it concludes

• Online aesthetics and micro-trends are frequently co-opted and commodified by mainstream fast fashion brands and media institutions.
• The internet has accelerated the lifecycle of subcultures so rapidly that trends are often co-opted before they are fully formed.
• Traditional monoculture has been fragmented into algorithmic taste communities, meaning people's mainstream experiences differ drastically depending on their digital footprint.
• While online aesthetics lack the physical and ideological cohesion of historical subcultures, they serve an aestheticizing function for people navigating modern identity and consumption.