Analysis of global aesthetic movements born in social networks and their impact on local contexts

Over the past decade, digital platforms have fostered the emergence of global aesthetic movements characterized by shared visual identities, symbolic narratives, and participatory dynamics. These so-called internet aesthetics such as dark academia, dreamcore, seapunk or the resurgence of hybrid subcultures such as cyber-gothic are cultural phenomena that are disseminated through social networks and virtual communities, particularly on platforms such as Tumblr, TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest. This study analyzes the formation, circulation and local impact of these global aesthetic movements, considering their role in the construction of youth identities and in the reconfiguration of contemporary visual culture. A mixed methodology was used based on digital content analysis, bibliographic review of indexed literature and exploratory survey applied to young users of social networks. The results show that internet aesthetics function as flexible symbolic frameworks that allow users to articulate identities, express emotions, and establish transnational communities mediated by algorithms. Likewise, processes of local reinterpretation of these global aesthetics are identified, where regional cultural elements are integrated into digital imaginaries. The study concludes that these aesthetic movements represent new forms of hybrid subculture between the digital and the offline, characterized by their fluidity, rapid evolution, and ability to produce collective meaning. In addition, its global circulation generates processes of cultural glocalization that influence consumption practices, fashion, digital art and identity construction. Finally, the sociocultural implications of these phenomena for understanding contemporary youth culture and cultural mediation processes in the era of digital platforms are discussed.