London’s tube girl, also known as Sabrina Bahsoon, has taken TikTok by storm. Her videos may seem like most others on the app (lip-syncing and dancing to popular music), but it has had a peculiar, yet fascinating impact on the current social media culture. The cause? Struttin’ her stuff on the London tube, unconcerned with onlookers or the public eye. This slight alteration from the norm has encouraged a unique result that hasn’t been seen by many since joining the app: a renewed sense of confidence.
Many have begun to question how she dared to perform the way she has in front of strangers, sans the embarrassment that typically accompanies filming this way. I, after coming across her account, @sabrinabahsoon, questioned why she was filming in public rather than in the comfort of her own home. I was a quiet observer of this content for quite some time as she collected hundreds of thousands of followers, thereby being titled “Tube Girl” by supporters. She uploaded her first “Tube video” on August 13, 2023, and overnight, her views went from thousands to millions.
Almost immediately, support was flooding her comment section, explicating the confidence her content provided. “How do I make myself not care about other people’s opinions? You’re inspiring,” one supporter, @cezara230, comments. Another commenter, @liliah9, states that Tube Girl has “started a movement.” There have even been dozens of accounts posting their versions of Tube Girl’s videos, attempting to capture the essence of her self-assurance and joy.
With over five million views on these videos, Bahsoon’s reach is wide and it has added a new branch to the self-confidence movement, one where women refuse to feel scared to take up space. On September 9th, 2023, @carolades posted a video reaching over 400k likes with the text “I wonder if she knows she is literally infusing her confidence to me through the screen,” with #tubegirl in the caption. The comments are in agreement, passionately expressing their love for the self-love and unity that Bahsoon promotes. I doubt that Bahsoon set out on her TikTok journey with the intention of starting a self-love movement, but her impact is evident.
I believe that the reason for her sudden growth as a creator is solely based on a fresh, positive take on influencing. Influencers are social media creators who typically create lifestyle and beauty content that people reference when buying products or living their everyday lives, thus having been influenced by these individuals. Often, the media we see focuses on influencing by fostering jealousy. Influencers have what viewers want, so we follow them to live vicariously through their unrelatable experiences. I believe this type of content in excess leads to a negative self-image and even resentment towards the type of life one lives. So what makes Bahsoon different from these influencers?
Bahsoon’s influence is intentionally rooted in authenticity. Her words of encouragement do not have financial or physical barriers– anyone can do what she does– therefore ridding herself of the tone-deafness most influencers have, where they just can’t imagine someone not having what they do. The real barrier that she addresses is one of confidence. She encourages young women to get up and find joy in the mundane parts of their lives and use those moments to live boldly. She has stated in numerous videos that she makes her content for herself and other women, doing what gives her confidence. This cause frees her from embarrassment when people stare at her as she films. The accessibility of her work has made many women try her style, surprising themselves at how freeing it feels to not care about other’s opinions of them.
Content seen online can in this way instill confidence in women, though I do not believe this to be empowering. The word “empowering” specifically refers to taking control into your own hands. Though instilling confidence and empowerment are two words cut from the same fabric, I believe that the only thing that can empower women is the woman herself. It is not until you feel that empowerment for yourself and employ it in your life that you have truly become empowered. Controlling your own body means nothing until you also control your own mind, and then you are truly empowered. Women deserve the space to fully grow and flourish, rather than cocooning themselves into being socially acceptable.
But what does it mean to “take up space”? The phrase has been used countless times about what women cannot do. When body image issues are rampant throughout society, or perhaps women are encouraged to be feeble for digestibility to the mass public, it all ultimately boils down to being prevented from becoming a fully fleshed-out person. In both the professional and the social realm, self-assurance appears to have a devastatingly large gap between men and women, typically stemming from the invalidation of emotions or dismissing women’s feelings as “hysteria” or overdramatic. Under these rules and regulations, it appears that women can only exist while trying to shrink until they practically disappear. This is why Bahsoon has made such a deep impact on women. They can witness this woman, unapologetically taking up space, and encouraging other women to do the same.
This whole notion featuring womanhood and confidence has made me think of the term “girl’s girl,” which references a woman who stands by other women rather than against them, uplifting women’s voices rather than belittling them for the validation of others. This term has been around for years and can be used to reference famous characters like Elle Woods from Legally Blonde, who have been known for bringing femininity into a positive light and referencing the value of friendship between women. Bahsoon’s content has had a similar effect as she does not sacrifice femininity to emulate emotional strength. The trend started by these TikToks reinforces the idea that supporting women and supporting yourself do not have to be mutually exclusive; the competition that has been prevalent across social media is not a necessity. Womanhood can be celebrated rather than belittled. Everyone can be supported and everyone can feel confident. Such affirmations allow me a glimmer of hope and happiness, as I see women finding beauty within themselves and each other.
I believe that positive and natural influencing can be the future of social media, especially when platforms are given to individuals who express their want to uplift others. Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own quotes “The truth is, I quite like women. I like their unconventionality. I like their completeness.” I agree with her sentiment that women are inherently complete. A woman doesn’t have to be a Nobel prize winner or a physicist to take up space, though those things should be celebrated as well. She simply deserves to be just as she is. We can revel in our unconventionality when we have media that will encourage a new generation of confident, unified Tube Girls who will support one another along the way.