Mewing has become quite a trend recently, but it’s still a mystery to many. If it’s a mystery to you now, it won’t be for long because this article is going to tell you everything you need to know about it…
We’ll kick things off by describing the act of mewing and where the idea comes from. Then we’ll move on to explain what else mewing can mean in slang, and then discuss who the act of mewing went viral on social media, and how this affected the popularisation of the term “mewing”.
Through the use of examples, we will also explain how you can use the word “mewing” in sentences, and we’ll be sure to answer all of your most frequently asked questions on the subject of mewing.
So, without further ado, let’s get straight down to it.
What is the act of mewing? Where does the idea of mewing come from?
The idea of mewing comes from the British orthodontists John Mew and his son Mike Mew. John and Mike Mew were proponents of facial orthotropics and it was their belief that children and young people could guide their facial development through proper oral posture.
They both asserted that by placing the tongue against the roof of the mouth (the palate) and maintaining this position while breathing (and even while swallowing as well), this can help children and young people to strengthen their jaw line and attain a chiselled jaw look. The technique was then named mewing after them and first came to the fore in the 1970s.
Some supporters of the mewing tongue posture technique also maintained that it can help with breathing and even sleep apnea. However, there is little convincing evidence for these concepts, leading to controversy and criticism. Mainstream orthodontists still do not recognize mewing as a scientifically supported treatment.
The trending of mewing and its popularisation of mewing on social media
Thanks to social media, the trend has been low key growing online for a long time, especially through the use of video shorts, and in particular on the platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. There would be tutorials, testimonials and discussions about the technique and its potential effects.
A typical video short might explain and demonstrate the technique, but following on from that there were also videos in which someone would be asked a question but they would not answer because they were mewing at the time, and thus unable to talk.
Taking this a small step further, when a person expected to speak was in the middle of carrying out the mewing technique, they would raise a finger to their lips, to indicate that they were not going to talk right then. Then they would gesture toward their jawline, usually by pointing to or rubbing their jawline, as a means of explaining why they are not speaking. This leads us nicely onto our next section.
Due to the age at which the mewing technique is said to take effect, it will always be especially popular with people aged between 5 and 10 years old, and also tweens and teenagers as well, albeit to a lesser extent. When this article was written, the mewing technique was popular with Gen Z, Gen alpha, and Gen beta.
What else can mewing mean in slang?
Since the act of mewing could be used as an excuse to avoid speaking or not answering a question, people started seeing the gesture as a way to indicate disinterest or a desire to avoid interaction. Hence the term “mewing” also started to refer to being uninterested, or not caring about whatever is being discussed. When viewed in this sense, mewing can be considered by some to be disrespectful.
While the gesture itself may not be inherently harmful or disrespectful, it has caused concern among teachers and educators who like to encourage pupil participation because it hinders learning.
How can you use the slang word mewing in sentences? Featuring examples
Mewing may be considered slang, but it’s not a rude word, and as such it is suitable for use in polite company. Here are some examples of the word in use in sentences for context to help your understanding.
- I/he/she couldn’t answer because I/he/she was mewing.
- Don’t ask her/him now, I think she/he is mewing.
- I/you/we need to get mewing to look like a model/s.
- Stop mewing, you’re here to learn.
- Mewing is not allowed in my classroom.
- If you want to mew, you can wait until you get home to do it.
- Mewing is not allowed in music lessons, depending what instrument you’re playing.
FAQ
Does mewing really help to enhance the aesthetic of your jawline?
While the mewing technique does sound like a nice, easy, and free technique to improve the look of your jawline, the truth is that the scientific evidence supporting mewing’s effectiveness is very limited, and many of the claims that were made are not substantiated, such as its help with conditions such as sleep apnea and sinusitis.
In fact there has been so much controversy and criticism surrounding the techniques that John Mew was struck from the dental register in the year 2019, and his son Mike Mew, also an ardent proponent of the technique, has faced a misconduct hearing on the issue. As a result of the hearing, he was expelled from the British Orthodontic Society.
Final word
So, to summarise, the word “mewing” refers to a technique put forward by the British orthodontists John Mew and his son Mike Mew, specifically about tongue posturing which they claimed could improve the aesthetic of a young person’s jaw to give them a more chiselled jawline.
However, there’s limited evidence in support of this, and John Mew was even struck from the dental register for his unsupported claims. Moreover, when people use “mewing” as an excuse to avoid speaking or interaction, people might find this disrespectful, as it implies the person who’s mewing has no real interest in what’s going on or being said.
