Mewing From Cosmetic Technique to Controversial Classroom Trend

A new trend called "mewing" is gaining traction among teens. However, many parents and teachers are confused and uncomfortable with the practice. So what is mewing, and why is it causing such controversy?

Mewing is a technique developed by orthodontist John Mew in the 1970s. It is a method of self-improvement of facial structure through adjusting the posture of the tongue, jaw and throat. Specifically, mewing requires the practitioner to close their lips, place their tongue on the roof of their mouth and maintain this position for a long period of time to tighten the muscles in the jawline area and avoid the phenomenon of double chin.

Mewing quickly became a hot topic on social media platforms, especially TikTok, as users shared tutorial videos and before-and-after results of mewing. Many young people started doing this method and spread it as a way to improve their appearance, especially in minimizing double chins and making the jawline look sharper.

Despite the many videos promoting mewing, to date, there has been no scientific research to prove that this technique can permanently change the jawbone structure. According to experts, changing the shape of the face depends on many factors, including genetics, bone development, and external influences such as orthodontics. Therefore, simply changing the position of the tongue may not be enough to significantly change the structure of the face.

One of the first to share this was Philip Lindsay, a special education teacher in Arizona, who used TikTok to explain the spread of mewing in the classroom. Mewing has become a way for students to show disinterest in questions from teachers or adults, and it has become especially popular in the classroom. This can be confusing for teachers who don’t understand what it actually means.

In Lindsay's videos, he demonstrates how mewing is done in class: students make a nonverbal gesture by pursing their lips, placing their fingers over their mouths in a "shush" motion, and then pointing to the area under their chin, as if they're "working out" their jaw. "It's basically the student saying, 'I can't answer your question right now, I'm mewing. I'm working on my face,'" Lindsay explains.

While some people see mewing as a harmless prank, some teachers and parents feel it is a way for students to show disrespect. Teresa Kaye Newman, a high school music teacher, shared her views on TikTok about the trend. She said that mewing is not only harmless but is actually a way to show disrespect to teachers and adults.

“Kids are using mewing to ignore teachers without letting us understand what’s going on. They think it’s funny because adults don’t understand anything. They see us as ‘out of the loop,’” Teresa explains in her video, which has been viewed millions of times. She argues that the act gives students a sense of power and allows them to opt out of learning activities without accountability or explanation.

One of the things that makes mewing such a popular phenomenon among young people is its ability to confuse and alienate adults. When kids do it, many adults don’t understand what it means, which creates a clear disconnect between the way kids and adults communicate. This makes kids feel even happier, because they know they’re expressing something that adults don’t understand.

However, one way teachers and parents can “stop” this trend is to imitate it. Many people believe that when adults start mewing, it immediately becomes “cringe” (awkward) and no longer attractive to young people. This is a way to end a trend overnight, just like how young people refuse to participate in trends that adults love.

Mewing may be a harmless trend among young people, but for many teachers and parents, it is a sign of growing disrespect in the classroom and in society. While studies have yet to prove the long-term effects of mewing on facial aesthetics, its use as a nonverbal communication tool is becoming a bigger issue, especially in educational settings.

Regardless, mewing will continue to be a phenomenon among young people and will be replaced by another trend when it no longer has enough appeal. However, it also reflects a new communication trend among young people, when they seek to express themselves in unique ways and sometimes cause difficulties for the adults around them.

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