BIO

Hello! My name is Kenson Moore and I am from Eustis, Florida. I am a dedicated Psychology student at Florida State University. My career aspirations center around attaining a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, focusing on research in eating disorders and body image among young women.
In addition to my coursework, I'm dedicated to completing my honors thesis, further exploring appearance anxiety in college-aged women. Previously, I have worked as a Therapeutic Assistant at Canopy Cove Residential Eating Disorder Facility, providing support to individuals on their path to recovery. Currently, I'm involved in research as a Research Assistant at the Keel Eating Behaviors Research Clinic.
Outside academia, I'm committed to raising awareness about mental health. I've been involved in projects like "The EVERYBody Project" and "RENEW," fostering discussions on body image and emotional well-being.
Looking ahead, I'm eager to contribute to the field of psychology!

Cookie Cutter Girls: A Content Analytic Investigation of the "Clean Girl Aesthetic" on TikTok

Abstract

It is well-known that social media includes highly idealized content that contributes to the spread of the thin ideal. Many researchers have utilized content analytic procedures to examine specific social media content areas, including thinspiration, fitspiration, and body positivity. However, no content analyses have focused on a popular micro trend known as “Clean Girl Aesthetic.” The present study involved a content analytic examination of the themes and characteristics of the “Clean Girl Aesthetic” on TikTok. TikTok videos included in the present content analysis were identified by entering the keywords “Clean Girl Aesthetic” into the search bar on TikTok. Results suggest that the majority of these TikTok videos include women who appear to be in their 20s who are thin, white, and blonde. It was rare for these women to embody characteristics that were not consistent with the thin-ideal, such as acne, wrinkles, or cellulite. Furthermore, the vast majority of women were seen wearing neutral colors, minimal makeup, and gold jewelry. Themes of motivation, commercialism, productivity, and minimalism were common. However, other themes seen in social media’s portrayal of the thin-ideal, including thin praise and diet culture, were rare. These results suggest that the “Clean Girl Aesthetic” trend on TikTok promotes the thin-ideal and commercialism to achieve this ideal but does not include as deleterious of messages as other types of content such as thinspiration. Future research should utilize experimental methods to examine how viewing “Clean Girl Aesthetic” videos impact viewers, especially those who may not embody the thin-ideal themselves.

Keywords: Clean Girl Aesthetic, Thin-Ideal, Beauty Standard