LET THE GIRLIES HAVE THEIR FUN

WRITTEN BY Sophie Farrar DESIGNED BY Nico Fierro

Girls run the world. No really, they do, and not just because Beyoncé says so. For years, teenage girls have pioneered what is perceived as “cool” in our society. The music we are listening to, the clothes we are wearing and the movies we are watching can all be tied back to teenage girls. Even before the fangirl Tumblr days of 2014, teenage girls have been the rulers of pop culture, and they continue to remain in reign today, cultivating cultural movements through trends on TikTok. From the Beatles to One Direction, teenage girls have the power to launch anyone and anything they deem fit to stardom.

And yet, simultaneously, society has continually ridiculed teenage girls and their interests. Continuously, the interests of teenage girls are diminished to things that shouldn’t be taken seriously, simply because they are liked by teenage girls. At the same time, the girls are called crazy, immature and silly for the passion that ignites their interests. This hatred goes as far as degrading the artists and people behind the interests simply because their fan base consists of teenage girls. Musicians such as Taylor Swift and media such as romance movies have been dismissed and disregarded because of their appeal to teenage girls. Hatred towards Swift exceeds her fan base as well, rooting itself in the fact that she got her start as a teenage girl herself. But what did teenage girls ever do to deserve such formidable force against them?

It comes down to the inherent misogyny that society thrives on. We are taught from birth, through the systems that surround us, the lie that women are lesser than men. The roots of this untruth are so intrinsically intertwined within our society that we sometimes don’t even notice them. But when you begin to look slightly below the surface level, the misogynistic underbelly of American society is easily revealed. Think briefly about the interactions women have daily and the hoops we have to jump through to get through our days. It goes without saying that it’s hard to be a woman in the U.S. with the way society is pitted against us from birth.

Now, we can’t tackle the patriarchy and solve all our societal issues by simply respecting teenage girls and their interests. But we can certainly change the narrative around them by doing so. It’s undeniable that a positive change can be made by treating teenage girls with kindness and common courtesy. It’s time to stop hating teenage girls and everything they like, and start respecting them for the culture cultivators and humans they are.

I’m begging society to let the girlies have their fun! Please, let teenage girls express their enthusiasm for the things they love. Think of how much duller