Hate to say it, but this isn't a social media thing or even new. How you look and sound greatly affects how people perceive your ideas. The parent comment had some good advice, making yourself look better does have an impact. Human psychology being what it is, it's futile to expect that people will just ignore the presentation and solely focus on the content. Plus, if everyone is stuck in a zoom call then they don't want to have to stare at the most unflattering angle possible.

I'm certainly not the best looking person, but adding an external webcam from a different angle definitely was noticed by coworkers in a positive way. I end up in a ton of marketing calls, and often I have to be the engineering voice that speaks up to say 'we can't do it that way, here is an alternative'. Since paying attention to my camera setup, my warnings get taken more seriously and have more attention paid to them.

Nobody is expecting you to look like a model or do a photo shoot, but spending a little bit of time improving camera angle, lighting, and mic really does pay off. No photographer takes low angle shots of close up faces since it's generally very unflattering, but that's the typical setup for a laptop on a desk. Just buying a cheap desk mic and a external webcam really will level up your presence in meetings. Don't think of it as Instagram bullshit, look at it as a way to use your tech skills to lifehack having a better interpersonal presence than you might have in person. Seriously, for ~$100 you can have a nicer camera and mic than 90% of everyone else, and having those things makes people treat you more seriously.