In pop culture, aesthetic is referred to as an overall style of someone or something, and today’s youth is obsessed with it. It is an increasing obsession with “being aesthetic” and has become a popular trend. Being aesthetic includes what an individual likes; the tones, atmosphere, style, and the way they’d like to lead their lives. It’s a type of personality, how each person wants to fit and portray themselves into this society.
Photo via Pinterest
But people say that a lot of it is fake and is pretend. In my opinion, it is not a etend but more of a desire or what one wants. In a way, it encourages people to have a healthier lifestyle for themselves.
Before we get into the details, where and when did the concept of ‘aesthetic’ even begin, and what exactly does aesthetic mean?
Towards the end of the 17th century, the distinctive concerns of modern aesthetics were established. Taste, imagination, natural beauty, and imitation came to be recognized as the central topics in aesthetics. The first use of the term ‘aesthetics’ in terms of the modern sense is attributed to Alexander Baumgarten in 1735. The word, aesthetic, is derived from the Greek word aisthetikos, meaning aesthetic, sensitive, and sentient- pertaining to sense perception.
Aesthetics is the philosophical study of beauty and taste. The whole idea of it is quite closely related to the philosophy of art, which is connected with the nature of art and the concepts through which individual works of art are interpreted.
Believe it or not, these aesthetic styles have been around for a long time and as a result of the success of Instagram and more recently tiktok, some old ones have been reborn. There are plenty of aesthetics in today’s time each having different styles and trends to them. To name a few popular ones there is grunge, y2k, academia, cottage core, VSCO and so many more. My personal favorite is the academia aesthetic since I like the vibe it gives out. I’m also more into old vintage things, so academia is more my style.
Photo via Pinterest - Academia aesthetic
Aesthetics’ play a huge role in a person’s life. It describes them, their personality, character, etc. It speaks a lot about the person who has chosen a specific aesthetic and is adhering to it. It also gives each person their distinct persona and makes everyone stand out. And I for one, am in favor of these. If these different aesthetics and people following their lifestyles motivates and makes them happy, then why not!
What is your favorite aesthetic and what do you think about its rising popularity?
Authored By: Sehaj Kaur
Edited By: Megha M S