There's something irresistibly satisfying to see a pleasant "before and after." It's someone's glow-up, a renovated home, or even a de-cluttered messy closet, these transformations dominate social media feeds for a reason. They tap into some fundamental human impulses, about betterment, possibility, and the thrill of visible change, that cause us to click, swipe, and scroll for more.
At its heart, glow-up and before-and-after posts present a "two-frame story". The "before" primes us: it introduces us to the beginning, usually mundane, disheveled, or rough around the edges.
The "after" provides the payoff: the refined, better, or upgraded version. It's storytelling in its most condensed form, problem and solution, adversity and victory, without needing words. Our minds adore this trajectory. It's the same story structure that we find in myths, movies, and fairy tales, but distilled into something that we can swallow in two seconds.
Glow-up content also satisfies our fascination with "potential". Seeing someone transform overnight tells us about the possibility of things, and people, being otherwise. That someone unpoised and overlooked can be transformed into someone dazzling. That a decrepit kitchen could become a fantasy room. These transformations give hope to the audience: "If they could do it, maybe I can too." Even if we never go on the same path, it is possible for someone else to raise an itch for individual transformation and growth.
There is also a strong dose of "visual gratification" that happens. Humans are wired neurologically to notice contrast, and side-by-side before-and-after photos give a startling comparison that highlights disparities. The glow-up is an exhibition of beauty, health, or confidence in a way the "before" makes even more dramatic. The more messy the starting point, the more powerful the reveal. It's like being offered a magic trick, but one we know was a product of time, effort, or imagination.
Psychologically, these transformations also make us feel a sense of "control and order". The "before" feels unfinished or in disorder, while the "after" feels like it's all together and in order. In a chaotic world, it is reassuring to see chaos neatly organize itself into something beautiful. Even if our own lives are chaotic, a scroll through glow-up content offers an immediate illusion that things "can" be organized, be improved, and neatened up with a bow.
There's also a "social dimension". Glow-up posts reflect resilience, discipline, or creativity. It's not just about looking better, it's about showing the work put into it, whether that is visiting the gym, applying makeup, or studying design. When an individual shares their transformation, it's both aspirational and relatable: aspirational because we wish to be like the outcome, relatable because we know starting from a "before." This contrast helps in creating connection and interaction online.
