Looksmaxxing (the term for optimizing your physical appearance by any means necessary, from skincare routines to jaw surgery to steroids) started on incel forums, where an entire ideology around looks, masculinity, and who deserves love developed its own vocabulary. It has since exploded on TikTok and YouTube, reaching millions of teenagers daily. The terminology is leaking into everyday…

7. “It didn’t happen to me, but a buddy of mine grew up in a small farming community in rural Montana. This all happened about 15 years ago. There was a man in his neighborhood who was known as a really friendly guy. He’d wave to people while sitting on his porch and would hand out the big-size candy bars to…