WHY IS SOCIETY CONSTANTLY TRYING TO LABEL WOMEN?

From ‘that girl’, to ‘clean girl’, and ‘vanilla girl’, if there’s one thing TikTok has reinforced in the last year, it’s stereotypes

Words: Georgia Rhodes

WHILE TikTok as a videosharing app is to applaud for introducing most of the viral trends we know and love, the latest one that the internet can’t seem to shake is the need to categorise ourselves as women. More and more often, aesthetic-focused videos are generating millions of views, directing us on how to become the latest version of the Gen-Z ‘it girl’ - and showcasing unattainable lifestyles.

As I’m aimlessly scrolling down my TikTok feed on a Sunday evening I suddenly land across the latest trend we women must adhere to: The ‘vanilla girl’. Cosy minimalism at its finest, Gen-Z are in the era of romanticising the all-white wearers with natural, fresh skin to match. With over 362 million views and counting, it would seem as though many have already given into the pressure to jump on board.

“TikTok’s sub-categories are very gendered”, says active feminist and founder of the FGRLSCLUB, Chloe Laws. “What started as a way for girls and women to find community and feel part of something (a needed antidote), it has now snowballed into a lot of trends that are rife with internalised misogyny.”

Let’s delve into this year’s aesthetic buzzwords so far. The newly-created ‘that girl’ trend focuses on being the healthy girl who wakes up at 5am to go to pilates class and sips green smoothies.

The ‘clean girl’ champions slicked-back buns and no-makeup-makeup to appear low-maintenance. But what do all these viral TikTok trends have in common? Red flags. Setting an endless cycle of new beauty standards and encouraging young women to change themselves to fit in within an arguably exclusive microtrend. If we get a spot or struggle with acne, does this mean we can’t be a ‘clean girl’? If we like to go heavy on foundation for a night out, can we no longer be a ‘vanilla girl’? It can be hard to remember that we don’t have to aspire to look like anyone else.

Just as the mass media was once heavily-criticised for doing, we as women are now creating a demand for products to become a part of the latest sociallyapplauded trend. Some may argue that these trends are only for an audience who the trend already effortlessly relates to, but how many of us can say we haven’t been at least intrigued, let alone inspired, by at least one of the current ‘girl’ moments circling? Guilty.

Author of the Black Women’s Wellness Guide, Chloe Pierre tells BLUSH: “Not only are these trends racially exclusive, but they’re all about control and limiting people.

“Humans generally long for connection, community, and wanting to fit in. On the outside, these trends seem harmless, but women labelling themselves in a public forum to garner attention, views, and popularity has a more sinister effect especially for younger, more naive and sensitive minds.”

Pierre continues: “On the other hand, experts may say these everyday trends have turned into polarising movements for the sheer fact that they seem to promote simplicity, although they are anything but!”

Let’s take a step back and look at the bigger picture. When was the last time you saw a ‘that boy’ trend or the ‘clean boy’ aesthetic? Women have been labelled and judged by society for as long as time can remember. And while society may have moved forward since the Regency era, we’re now actively punishing ourselves without even realising it. We’re becoming enslaved to the ideas and daily practices that the internet hands us at any given few weeks at a time - most of which can actually be deemed toxic.

While it’s known that women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety than men, it’s easy to see why in a digital age, where the pressures of society and the standards we hold ourselves to are more prevalent than ever.

Imagine the damage we are causing our selfesteem by putting our worth into a poularity contest? When we think about how many hours we have lost to doom-scrolling on TikTok (we’re shaking our heads too), it’s about time we entered our self-love era. It’s time to recognise and appreciate ourselves without the need to be labelled. Our self-worth does not come from a label or TikTok trend, no matter the dopamine hit of a few fleeting ‘likes’ from strangers.