'maxxing' trend reaches investing: platform ad revenue and user dwell time
On social media, self-optimization trends built around the 'maxxing' suffix, such as 'booksmaxxing' and 'looksmaxxing', are spreading. Some mental health experts worry that this phenomenon could have negative effects on mental well-being, including comparison and anxiety.
Recently, 'maxxing' content has surged on TikTok and Instagram. The reason this trend matters to investors is that, beyond being a simple meme, it could drive up user dwell time on social media platforms and raise advertising rates. On the other hand, if teenage mental health issues become a political issue, it could also turn into regulatory risk.
'maxxing' is a suffix meaning to push something to the limit. It records and shares in short videos the process of pushing specific parts of everyday life to the maximum, such as 'booksmaxxing', which maximizes reading, and 'looksmaxxing', which refines appearance to the fullest.
It is spreading especially fast on short-form video and image-centered platforms. Because it is a format in which users visually show the process of their own change, engagement and sharing occur explosively.
The problem is side effects. Some mental health specialists warn that excessive comparison causes anxiety among adolescents and young adults. They point out that an atmosphere of compulsively pursuing self-optimization can deepen feelings of depression. If these concerns grow and spread into debate over platform regulation, it would create a variable for the earnings of mega-platform companies such as Meta and Alphabet.
No company-specific figures or concrete regulatory announcements have been confirmed yet. At present, the reporting is focused on the phenomenon itself and experts’ concerns.
The key is the next earnings reports. Whether platform companies visibly report increases in user time spent on their services and advertising exposure this quarter will be the benchmark for judging the earnings contribution of this trend.
Sources: CNBC,CNBC Top News
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