In a world where side hustles and productivity at every hour of the day is becoming increasingly more ‘normalised’, it’s easy to feel as if you aren’t doing enough. It’s of no doubt that women are continuously breaking boundaries and achieving so much. But along with this, it seems notable to evaluate whether the ‘GirlBoss’ culture that has stemmed from it is empowering or causes too much pressure upon women.
According to NastyGal founder Sophie Amoruso’s book, a girlboss is someone ‘’whose success is defined in opposition to the masculine business world in which she swims upstream.” Even in 2022, the business world is still very male-dominated, so I hugely admire all successful females who have succeeded in a challenging environment.
Yet I do think that social media has led to a glamorisation of toxic productivity, and I myself have found that this has negatively impacted me at times. I have unfollowed many people and stopped looking at certain content – not out of spite or jealousy, but because comparison truly is the thief of joy.
Whilst I understand that comparing where you are in your life to where someone else is completely pointless, it is hard not to do.
I love the emergence of girlboss culture, and seeing successful women thrive in the media, such as Grace Beverly or businesswomen documenting their stories on shows including Selling Sunset or The Apprentice. However, in light of Molly Mae’s “we all have the same twenty-four hours in the day’’ comment and Kim Kardashian’s “get up and work’’ remark – are those with status undermining other individuals who are just as hardworking as them?
It can certainly come across that way. All of the people who I have noted above do work incredibly hard and are successful, but they are also not struggling University students like you and I.
On this note, it raises the question of whether GirlBoss culture is empowering or pressuring.
I would say that it is a mix of both.
Whilst I love that there are inspiration women for young girls to look up to and admire their work ethic, it can pressuring for people to work to the point of burnout to be a ‘GirlBoss’ and emulate a certain lifestyle.
Yes, I would love to have a mansion in Calabasas and millions of pounds in my bank account, but I know that that is not realistic for my life, especially right now. GirlBosses appear everywhere in every industry, and just because they are getting even more exposure on television nowadays, it doesn’t mean that you have to have their luxury lifestyle in order to be successful.
Next time you find yourself comparing your achievements to someone else’s, remember that everyone is on a different path and success is relative and different to each person. Especially as we emerge out of University and everyone goes on to do completely different things, keep that in mind.