The Appearance Ecology
- June 26, 2026
- General
By John M Oldham MD
A few years ago, Lois Morris and I posted a blog on this website entitled “Attention!” (May, 2021), referring to the “Attention Economy.” We recommended that we “pay attention to where we pay attention,” with particular emphasis on the internet as a magnet for our attention. And while recognizing the many benefits the worldwide web provides, we cautioned that it can also be a “misinformation highway.”
Since then, with the onset of Large Language Models and the explosive reach of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the opportunities to access information seem virtually unlimited, but the challenge to tell the difference between valid, authoritative content and frivolous humbug can seem overwhelming. New versions of the Attention Economy are, well, catching our attention, sometimes referred to as the Appearance Economy or the Aesthetic Economy or the Appearance Ecology. AI refers to these terms as “how physical attractiveness directly translates into economic and labor market advantages, fueling a massive global industry,” highlighting the value that the social media places on looks. While for most of us, this goes hand in hand with familiar product marketing, what isn’t as obvious is the risk profile of this all-out “appearance drumbeat.” People dissatisfied with their appearance can use self-modification tools to erase blemishes and alter other aspects of their social media images. New terms have surfaced such as “snapchat dysmorphia” or “digitized dysmorphia,” relevant particularly for young people with appearance anxiety. Susceptible individuals may have legitimate dermatological conditions such as acne or psoriasis, but “self-comparison” rituals can lead to hours spent online. And however comforting an AI-generated “clear skin” version of the self might be, reaching social comfort with the real self may become harder to achieve.
Are there personality types that might be more likely to seek an imaginary online world, populated by “picture-perfect” avatars of the self and others? Hard to say. In the language of NPSP25, perhaps those with prominent Dramatic or Sensitive styles might find the allure of “virtual self-improvement” compelling, but hopefully that would be a harmless hobby, not an effort to escape from reality.
