Mewing has emerged as more than just a quirky word; it’s a Gen Z phenomenon that’s capturing attention both online and in real life. While it sounds like the noise a cat makes, in internet slang, mewing refers to a purported “do-it-yourself facial restructuring method.” According to the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), this involves pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth, supposedly to sharpen your jawline and create a more sculpted facial appearance.
However, in the world of dentistry, the concept of mewing as a facial transformation technique isn’t widely accepted.
The American Association of Orthodontists states, “Unfortunately, scientific evidence supporting mewing’s jawline-sculpting claims is as thin as dental floss.” They further explain, “A complex interplay of genetics, bone growth, and muscle development influences facial structure. Simply changing tongue placement isn’t enough to magically correct misaligned teeth, reshape your jawline, and prevent the need for orthodontic treatment.”
Adding a Gen Z twist, teens have incorporated extra steps into the “mewing move.” This involves placing a finger over the lips in a “Shhh” gesture, followed by tracing the jawline from top to bottom. This amplified action is what’s becoming increasingly recognized in teen slang.
Philip Lindsay, a special education math teacher in Payson, Arizona, known as Mr. Lindsay on TikTok for his teen slang explanations, confirms mewing’s popularity in schools.
“When somebody comes up and asks you a question — particularly if it’s the teacher or a parent — and you don’t want to answer the question, you hit them with the (mewing),” Lindsay explained in a video. “Which simply means, ‘I can’t answer your question right now. I’m mewing. I’m working on my jawline.'”
Lindsay observes that students find a particular amusement in using mewing as a non-verbal deflection tactic when faced with unwanted questions at school or home.
“I haven’t run into one kid who has used mewing seriously … (although) some teachers talk about how disrespectful it is,” Lindsay shared with TODAY.com. He adds, “That’s one opinion — and mewing has that tone — but it’s more of a ‘Let’s see if we can get a laugh out of this’ (move).” He clarifies that students are generally aware that mewing won’t genuinely excuse them from responsibilities like answering questions.
According to Lindsay, mewing is also connected to the broader concept of “looksmaxxing.” Urban Dictionary defines looksmaxxing as “the physical improvement of a person’s body — in terms of development of facial features or muscular improvement — in order to make oneself more attractive or easier to like.”
The New York Times has reported that looksmaxxing is predominantly a trend among teen boys, categorized into “softmaxxing,” which includes minor beauty enhancements like mewing, and “hardmaxxing,” which involves cosmetic surgery.
As an educator, Lindsay adopts a tolerant stance towards mewing and other slang, intervening only when it becomes disrespectful, misogynistic, or disruptive.
“I have a relationship-first approach in the classroom, but there are rules, expectations and procedures,” he explained to TODAY.com. “If a kid is mewing and trying to be funny, (I’ll say), ‘You can mew on your own time … (please) answer the question.'” He concludes, “The less I take these (trends) seriously, the less fuel they have,” suggesting a strategy of de-escalation when it comes to fleeting slang trends.
In essence, while “mewing” originates from an unproven facial exercise, its evolution into teen slang highlights Gen Z’s playful approach to language and social interactions. It’s a trend that blends self-improvement aspirations with a touch of humorous defiance.
