Xangsane
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Helene’s Disturbing New Habit: Bonesmashing
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Helene is alone in her room, the crusty, Cheeto-covered iPad still in her hands. She’s been scrolling through TikTok for hours, completely engrossed in the world of looksmaxxing and self-improvement. The content has taken a dark turn, introducing her to a new and disturbing concept: bonesmashing.
Bonesmashing is a controversial and potentially dangerous practice where people attempt to reshape their facial bones by repeatedly hitting them with their hands or other objects. The idea, as presented in these videos, is that by “smashing” certain areas of the face, you can create more defined features, improve your facial symmetry, and ultimately, become more attractive.
Helene, too young to fully understand the risks, watches these videos with a mix of fascination and fear. The influencers in the videos make it seem easy, almost like a fun, quirky beauty hack. They show before-and-after photos, claiming that their new, sharper features are the result of bonesmashing. The more Helene watches, the more she starts to believe that this could be a way for her to improve her own appearance.
With a sense of nervous excitement, Helene decides to try it herself. She hesitates for a moment, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Her young face is still soft, her features not yet fully formed, but she’s already begun to internalize the toxic messages she’s been consuming. She wants to look better, to be prettier, and if this is what it takes, she’s willing to try.
She raises her hand and, with a tentative tap, hits her cheekbone. It doesn’t hurt much, just a dull thud that barely registers. Encouraged by the lack of pain, Helene taps again, this time with a little more force. She doesn’t notice the slight redness that starts to appear, the way her skin reacts to the repeated impact.
For a few minutes, she continues this pattern, alternating between her cheeks and jawline, hitting them with her hands in a misguided attempt to “smash” her bones into a more desirable shape. She’s so focused on what she’s doing that she doesn’t hear her mother, Francine, approaching her room.
When Francine opens the door and sees what Helene is doing, she’s stunned.
Francine: “Helene! What on earth are you doing?”
Startled, Helene stops mid-smash, her face turning bright red as she realizes she’s been caught. She quickly lowers her hands, looking guilty and a little scared.
Helene: *“Nothing, Mom. I was just…”
Francine’s eyes widen as she notices the slight redness on Helene’s cheeks, the way her daughter seems to be trying to hide something.
Francine: “Were you… were you hitting your face?”
Helene doesn’t know how to respond. She’s never seen her mother look so concerned, and she feels a lump form in her throat. She nods slightly, unable to meet Francine’s gaze.
Francine is horrified. She kneels down to Helene’s level, gently taking her daughter’s hands in hers.
Francine: “Helene, sweetheart, why would you do something like that? Who told you this was okay?”
Tears start to well up in Helene’s eyes as the reality of what she’s been doing sinks in. She feels ashamed, embarrassed, and confused.
Helene: “I… I saw it on TikTok. They said it would make me prettier.”
Francine feels a wave of anger and sadness wash over her. How could something like this be happening to her little girl? She pulls Helene into a hug, holding her tightly as she tries to process what she’s just witnessed.
Francine: “Oh, Helene… you don’t need to do that. You’re already beautiful, just the way you are. Those people on TikTok, they don’t know what they’re talking about. They’re wrong, and I don’t want you to ever do this again, okay?”
Helene nods, clinging to her mother, but the damage has already been done. The seeds of insecurity that were planted by the content she’s been consuming have taken root, and it will take more than just a hug to undo them.
Francine knows this, and as she holds her daughter, she makes a silent vow to protect Helene from the toxic influence of social media, to help her build a healthy self-image before it’s too late. But she also realizes that this is just the beginning of a much larger battle, one that will require constant vigilance and support if Helene is going to grow up feeling confident and secure in who she is.
As Francine pulls back and wipes away Helene’s tears, she tries to smile, to reassure her daughter that everything will be okay. But deep down, she knows that things are more complicated than they seem, and she worries about what the future holds for her precious little girl.
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Helene is alone in her room, the crusty, Cheeto-covered iPad still in her hands. She’s been scrolling through TikTok for hours, completely engrossed in the world of looksmaxxing and self-improvement. The content has taken a dark turn, introducing her to a new and disturbing concept: bonesmashing.
Bonesmashing is a controversial and potentially dangerous practice where people attempt to reshape their facial bones by repeatedly hitting them with their hands or other objects. The idea, as presented in these videos, is that by “smashing” certain areas of the face, you can create more defined features, improve your facial symmetry, and ultimately, become more attractive.
Helene, too young to fully understand the risks, watches these videos with a mix of fascination and fear. The influencers in the videos make it seem easy, almost like a fun, quirky beauty hack. They show before-and-after photos, claiming that their new, sharper features are the result of bonesmashing. The more Helene watches, the more she starts to believe that this could be a way for her to improve her own appearance.
With a sense of nervous excitement, Helene decides to try it herself. She hesitates for a moment, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Her young face is still soft, her features not yet fully formed, but she’s already begun to internalize the toxic messages she’s been consuming. She wants to look better, to be prettier, and if this is what it takes, she’s willing to try.
She raises her hand and, with a tentative tap, hits her cheekbone. It doesn’t hurt much, just a dull thud that barely registers. Encouraged by the lack of pain, Helene taps again, this time with a little more force. She doesn’t notice the slight redness that starts to appear, the way her skin reacts to the repeated impact.
For a few minutes, she continues this pattern, alternating between her cheeks and jawline, hitting them with her hands in a misguided attempt to “smash” her bones into a more desirable shape. She’s so focused on what she’s doing that she doesn’t hear her mother, Francine, approaching her room.
When Francine opens the door and sees what Helene is doing, she’s stunned.
Francine: “Helene! What on earth are you doing?”
Startled, Helene stops mid-smash, her face turning bright red as she realizes she’s been caught. She quickly lowers her hands, looking guilty and a little scared.
Helene: *“Nothing, Mom. I was just…”
Francine’s eyes widen as she notices the slight redness on Helene’s cheeks, the way her daughter seems to be trying to hide something.
Francine: “Were you… were you hitting your face?”
Helene doesn’t know how to respond. She’s never seen her mother look so concerned, and she feels a lump form in her throat. She nods slightly, unable to meet Francine’s gaze.
Francine is horrified. She kneels down to Helene’s level, gently taking her daughter’s hands in hers.
Francine: “Helene, sweetheart, why would you do something like that? Who told you this was okay?”
Tears start to well up in Helene’s eyes as the reality of what she’s been doing sinks in. She feels ashamed, embarrassed, and confused.
Helene: “I… I saw it on TikTok. They said it would make me prettier.”
Francine feels a wave of anger and sadness wash over her. How could something like this be happening to her little girl? She pulls Helene into a hug, holding her tightly as she tries to process what she’s just witnessed.
Francine: “Oh, Helene… you don’t need to do that. You’re already beautiful, just the way you are. Those people on TikTok, they don’t know what they’re talking about. They’re wrong, and I don’t want you to ever do this again, okay?”
Helene nods, clinging to her mother, but the damage has already been done. The seeds of insecurity that were planted by the content she’s been consuming have taken root, and it will take more than just a hug to undo them.
Francine knows this, and as she holds her daughter, she makes a silent vow to protect Helene from the toxic influence of social media, to help her build a healthy self-image before it’s too late. But she also realizes that this is just the beginning of a much larger battle, one that will require constant vigilance and support if Helene is going to grow up feeling confident and secure in who she is.
As Francine pulls back and wipes away Helene’s tears, she tries to smile, to reassure her daughter that everything will be okay. But deep down, she knows that things are more complicated than they seem, and she worries about what the future holds for her precious little girl.
