For the last few months, the “I’m just a girl” trend has been flooding people’s social media pages. The trend has to do with all things feminine — it’s become a place for women to share their experiences, opinions, and lifestyle tips.
There are variants of this trend, like “girl dinner,” “girl math,” and differing aesthetics. Some of those videos have made me chuckle at my phone, while others had me scratching my head.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I think the silk bows in people’s hair are absolutely adorable, but there are some questionable aspects of “I’m just a girl” that need to be examined.
The “girl dinner” trend sparked from TikTok user Olivia Maher, who shared a video of her dinner of cheese, bread, cornichons and grapes, describing it as “something a medieval peasant might eat.” Other women followed suit by sharing their favourite, sometimes odd, meals.
On one hand, “girl dinner” allows women to be lazy and carefree, putting themselves and their desires first. Not to mention that the audio of this video made me cackle.
Conversely, “girl dinner” can be darker than what meets the eye. It can be debated that “girl dinner” deals with unhealthy eating habits. The whole premise of the trend is to have the most outlandish meals, but a few people use the trend to show off how little they eat as their video garners views, likes, and applause.
It’s completely normal to eat a bunch of snacks as dinner now and then; everyone is guilty of that, but “girl dinner” shouldn’t be used as an excuse to under-eat or skip meals.
I also believe that “girl dinner” reinforces the stereotype of women being expected to cook and clean meals for their families and husbands, caring for others before themselves. For her husband, a woman is expected to create a gourmet meal while she is left picking the scraps off his plate.
There’s so much pressure on women to always do their best for men — that women have a sense of duty towards their husbands. While indulging in small meals is not wise daily, get your eyes off our plates and let women eat whatever they want without judgment.
Moving on to “girl math,” the origin of this trend’s concept is how women have internal debates and calculations to justify their spending habits. On the surface level, I find “girl math” extremely relatable and something a lot of people are guilty of thinking. There have been so many times when I find myself justifying a purchase with how often I’ll use it or how often I negotiate a price.
However, that constant need for justification can be unhealthy. Women shouldn’t have to reach so far to justify their transactions. If you are buying something you really desire and can afford it, do it. There is no need to feel guilty for buying something you want just because “girl math” does not validate it.
Also, I can’t just ignore that “girl math” reinforces the stereotype that women are uneducated and untrustworthy with money, being diminished as frivolous spenders on artificial products in a mall. At the end of the day, purchases are not considered frivolous by society if they’re spent on video games or sports tickets — it’s feminine products like makeup and jewelry that are seen as unnecessary.
Not to mention all the other trends that come and go with the wind, like the clean girl aesthetic, ballet core, and hot girl summers. They blow up on social media just to be pushed aside by whatever the next facade is.
Yes, many aspects of these trends benefit people’s well-being, but these trends should not be needed to fit into a bubble that TikTok deems acceptable for two weeks. Be yourself; that is something that society could never categorize.
It always seems that women are tossed new versions of what it means to be feminine and are expected to just shut up and conform. I have an idea: the next trend of being a girl is being you. No expectations of what you look like. No requirements for what products you have. No reasoning for wanting the things you want. No judgment for eating what you want to eat.
I get it, we are all girls in the world trying to figure out how to overcome sexist ideals. But that does not mean that women should sacrifice their individuality, and who they are internally.
So no, I’m not just a girl, and I never will be.