The 'I'm just a girl' TikTok trend is the epitome of girlhood

It is dominating our social media feeds, soundtracking our minds.

“I’m just a girl, I’m just a girl in the world”.

A series of TikToks showcasing what it is to be a ‘girl’. Hand holding through crowds, bloating, hair tie marks on wrists, phone case collections, efforts made for the perfect photo, bad at-home haircuts, hiding sweat marks on chairs…I’ve even seen a ‘girl decorating’ video, which is apparently hitting a nail into a wall with any means possible – in this case, a high-heel and a hairbrush.

They are silly jokes which show the universality of girlhood. We laugh together at the trivial things we do, sharing in a community that shows just how not alone we are in this scary world. We ‘girls’ are all linked, cruising the crowds together. Our chain is unbroken. The trend has ignited a spark of positivity within TikTok’s community, inspiring young women to embrace their uniqueness, reject societal norms, and uplift one another in a virtual sisterhood.

Yet, this trend has come under a lot of heat.

It seems we cannot share jokes online without it signalling the death of feminism.

This is highlighted with arguments about math anxiety in younger girls, as ‘girl math’ is often taking the brunt of these jokes. Exploding Topics claim 25% of TikTok’s users are under the age of 20, and many argue that these younger girls, still majoritively at school, will see their math potential painted before them as impossible. It is understandable that younger girls will look up to women they believe have more life experience, be it their sister, teacher, or favourite TikTok creators. We all look to others in the hopes to understand more. Yet, young girls are also being bombarded with misogynistic messages, whispers influenced by creators like Andrew Tate on the playground, the pains of growing up as a girl. Is it really so awful for them to be seeing older girls, who have already lived through their problems, joke about them? To be shown that it all turns out okay and we can now laugh about it? That as a girl, we are a part of something bigger, there is universality in our problems, and we are never alone?

There is also the argument that men do not have a similar trend. This obviously means that we will never be taken seriously, and that we are reinforcing the patriarchy because we are subjecting ourselves to the stereotypes. Eyeroll. I understand that yes, we may be playing into some stereotypes, but it must be considered that we have grown up expected to be these things. We are told so many details about ourselves without truly knowing otherwise. Now knowing more, we can mock these expectations. Frankly, men will never understand girlhood, and toxic masculinity tends to prevent them from having a similar ‘boyhood’. Men of course struggle under patriarchy, just not in the same way. It allows a bulk of men to thrive, but no woman. Men not having a similar trend does not demean it, just shows how much stronger a bond us girls have because of the universality of our experiences.

Of course, all trends can be detrimental in some shape or form. ‘Girl dinner’, which showcased a girl’s desired diet, free of the male-gaze, such as an entire birthday cake and a bottle of prosecco, was susceptible to being hijacked by diet culture fads. The subconscious effect of seeing someone claim a diet coke and a slice of cucumber as a ‘girl dinner’ is scary when it comes to young girls. Yet, they are also seeing the other side, of women devouring whatever they would like, free from expectation. Everything is dangerous if we let it be, but we need to see the good in something or we will quite literally go insane. There is some power in knowing that, unlike those that come before us, it is perfectly acceptable for girls to opt out of conforming to traditional domestic roles.

Even the term ‘girlhood’ is controversial. To be referred to as a ‘girl’ is to not be taken seriously. To never grow up and be worthy of respect. This argument completely misses the point. To be a part of girlhood is to elongate childhood, and not the negative parts. It is to be part of a community which truly emphasises the importance of girl friendships. It harbours a silliness we are apparently meant to grow out of, where we must accept the expectations of us without rebelling. That is, however, exactly what the ‘just a girl’ trend embodies. A silly rebellion. Where we humourise our issues to show that we are not alone in facing them, and that they are themselves silly enough to be humourised. Without this celebratory mocking of girlhood, and the community it fosters, we would not survive. We are already judged under patriarchal ideals, let’s not do it to each other.

The ‘just a girl’ trend is the epitome of girlhood. It is about survival. If we cannot joke about our problems, we simply will not pull through them.

Are women capable enough to distinguish the difference between an ironic TikTok trend and unadulterated self-deprecation of a girl’s abilities?

Yes.

From the words of Stefani herself during a 1996 interview with Spin Magazine, “if you don’t think it’s sarcastic, you’ve got to be like an idiot.”