All throughout the internet, on tiktok, instagram, youtube, and many more, daily content like “what I eat in a day” or “heroin chic” trends pop up on all for you pages. Social media is glamorizing the looks of famous pop culture icons like Kate Moss and Jaime King who have turned this “heroin chic” look into a fashion statement. Girls all around the world romanticize these icons and want to look like them. That skinny, dark eyes, dead soul, I can see your ribs look has been trending for years, and now they’ve made a comeback, and we didn’t even notice. 

I can bet no one can go through scrolling on tiktok for five minutes without running into a “what I eat in a day.” Famous influences like Nara Smith, Emily Mariko, and even younger creators share these videos with the whole internet, influencing so many people. These “trends” are causing serious damage in developing teenagers, and have set unrealistic body standards that are causing real harm to many generations. 

Influencers like Nara Smith and Emily Mariko are contributing to a culture where restriction looks “pretty.” A perfectly plated breakfast, a salad for lunch, and a single rice cake for dinner set to soft indie music creates the illusion that this is the way to be admired. But the truth is, this “heroin chic” trend isn’t new, it’s just rebranded as “wellness” or “discipline,” pushing the same harmful message: shrink yourself to be enough. 

This matters because teens like us are growing up in a world that tells us our worth is based on how we look, not how we feel. Eating disorder rates are rising, and social media plays a huge role in this. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, these trends are contributing to disordered eating behaviors. 

So what can we do? We need to stop romanticizing these harmful behaviors. Unfollow accounts that make you feel less than, and speak up when you see content that glamorizes illness. Your body is not a trend. Healing and health are more important than fitting into someone else’s idea of beauty. Choose yourself. You don’t have to be anyone else’s version of “pretty.” You just have to be here, alive, and on your own side.