The generation of weight: teenagers ready to do anything to gain popularity

A few years ago, the photo of a small dolphin in the hands of hundreds of tourists on an Argentine beach made the rounds on social networks. s. Under the pretext of taking a selfie which required having the animal very close, the group of people passed the animal from hand to hand so that everyone had their photographic opportunity. Even when that constant handling out of the water ended up costing the dolphin his life.

This is one of the thousands of examples that abound on digital platforms where, In a bid to gain subscribers or views at any cost, users are willing to do the unimaginable. Pictures hanging from railings in tall buildings, hugging strangers on the street, visiting memorial sites and even restricted and dangerous sites like Chernobyl with a team of lights and photographers to capture images of themselves that can then go viral on the internet are some of the practices that can be observed on networks such as TikTok or YouTube. The motivation behind behaviors that seem completely irrational is in most cases very clear: weight.

It’s a concept that emerged in the 80s in the context of music and rap. But its new meaning became popular a few years ago and serves to explain a different type of notoriety than that enjoyed by traditional celebrities. Weight is a different phenomenon and closely related to the digital universe. It refers to the popularity or recognition that an individual has just had in the virtual world and does not necessarily go hand in hand with fame. You can be famous and have no influence or have it without being famous.

At first, this may seem like a difficult concept to define or define, but today the weight is everywhere . With over 7 billion views, #influence transcends countries and continents. And, just as it knows no geographical, moral or legal limits . Young people arrested for having eaten ice cream at the supermarket and then leaving the boxes in the refrigerators without anyone knowing that they were buying opened and tested products. Or kissing and jumping in the arms of a stranger on the street while another holds the camera and captures the moment are just a few examples of what people do today in the hope of reaching an audience. mass and thus increase their influence.

Although the search for influence is not limited to one age group, It is undoubtedly the teenagers who tend to indulge in these absurd and often risky practices in most cases. . Child and adolescent psychologist Paulina Cazés Aguilar explains that the search for reaffirmation is an essential component of adolescence. “Being seen, getting attention, standing out is important to the vast majority of young people and has to do with acceptance and belonging “, he adds. And if there are teenagers who try to distinguish themselves by their achievements in terms of schooling, sport, or the development of an activity or a talent, many do it today thanks to their exposure on social networks.

The specialist adds that it cannot be ignored that today the world revolves around the virtual and that, therefore, recognition is expected to be sought there, in the digital universe, using the cloud as money change. Paulina Cazés explains that the phenomenon has increased disproportionately with the pandemic . A period during which this form was the only way to communicate, socialize and relate to others. “We cannot forget that at this stage of life the peer group becomes vitally important, often overriding the approval that parents or other adults can give,” explains the psychologist. He adds that it is to be expected that at a time when teenagers live a large part of their lives online and considering that by definition they are individuals who tend to be impulsive and immature, they often do not measure not the effects or consequences of what they show up in the networks and that’s where the problems come from.

And it is that the need to expose life is to some extent a normal part of adolescence but, when it takes on a disproportionate importance in life and when what is exposed is intimate, that is where the limit is. that we should put in search of weight. “When they show something very personal or risky like self-harming, drinking alcohol, taking on a challenge that involves physical risk, for example, or when it causes trouble with others, when the response you get of others affects your mood too much, the need for exposure is no longer in the realm of what is expected or normal, according to Paulina Cazés.”In these cases we can talk about a young man with low self-esteem, with problems of anxiety, depression even that he may show a disorder in the development of his personality”.

And it is that adolescents have historically sought the approval of others and, in this sense, an undigitized version of the weight has always existed . “They were looking for approval, but they did it in a different way since social media didn’t exist,” says Paulina. “Direct contact with people was used more, the use of spaces outside the home, the games were different and the interactions were face to face.”

Wanting to be seen is something expected at this stage of life according to specialists. However, It is adults who need to be aware of how adolescents seek this recognition. . “These pathways must be healthy. When they are destructive or have negative consequences for them, we must intervene”, explains the psychologist. Talking about the risks and consequences of exposure and what the internet never forgets – once published on the networks, we can’t remove it anymore – is one of the ways to approach the issue with children. But this is not enough because from what we can see today, new formulas for generating weight are emerging every in the form of hashtags and challenges. And as they get more eccentric, it becomes more and more difficult to obtain that effect of surprise and elation that content needs to go viral. Which makes influencer research an increasingly extreme adventure.

And it is that the singer Cardi B had already raised it years ago in one of her singles “They’ do any for clut” (they would do anything to gain weight ). While we may doubt there have ever been people willing to do anything for 15 minutes of fame, the difference with what happened in those years is that all the limits have been erased . There is no longer a need for cameras or professional equipment, much less a TV show that wants to cover pranks or acts that seek attention. Today, it’s up to the author’s purest creativity to determine what he is or isn’t willing to do to gain weight. And, from what has been seen on social media, many people will do anything for social recognition.