For others, there's also a splash of "self-reflection". When we see someone else's glow-up, it gets us thinking about our own: What would "my" before-and-after saga look like? Could I achieve the same if I invested the time, money, or effort? That internal comparison can motivate us, even if at times it brings up a poodle of envy.
Interestingly, glow-ups are not necessarily about vanity. They are about growth. A "before" picture can stand in for insecurity, struggle, or stagnation, while the "after" stands in for confidence, resilience, or liberation. By doing so, glow-up material is a reaction to something in all of us: the desire to develop into the better version of ourselves.
Short, glowing, and spectacular before-and-after content is thus so popular because it delivers a neat bite of story, contrast, and motivation. It tells us what can be done, reminds us that it is possible to change, and assuages our appetite for tidy, visual accounts of transformation. Amidst the modern mess, here is refreshing evidence that things can indeed get better if you work at them.
