Since April, a visit to the TikTok video sharing app will probably include scrolling past a video with the #thatgirl hashtag, which already had almost 800 million views as of August.
“That Girl” videos seem pretty positive on the surface. They usually start with a shot of a clock, then show a young woman getting out of her bed. Next, a series of quick cuts usually shows the bed magically getting made as well as a fancy-looking coffee drink and food – almost always something with sliced bananas. Other shots will show the girl working out to online videos and writing in a journal.
Overall, the aim of the video trend is to encourage viewers to take steps to improve their life, such as committing to a morning routine.
Hollie, an 18-year-old lifestyle YouTuber based in the United Kingdom, told Bustle the trend is about “finding joy within the small moments, whilst also establishing daily habits and routines that allow you to be healthy mentally, physically, and spiritually.”
However, some experts are concerned that the videos’ pristine aesthetic could actually make viewers discouraged if their own efforts don’t look as aspirational, said USA Today.
“I most definitely believe social media exacerbated the pressure to be perfect,” says Menije Boduryan-Turner, a California-based licensed psychologist with a doctorate in clinical psychology, according to the outlet. “All of these filters and all of these edits make everything so packaged and clean and so organized so there’s no room for anything imperfect.
… It’s like you run this marathon and you never reach the finish line.”
This Monday, the social media photo sharing app Instagram announced it would put a project to create a version of the app geared towards children under age 13 on hold. The project was criticized following a Wall Street Journal investigation that indicated teens suffered from anxiety and depression related to using the app.
In response to the envy-worthy aesthetics of the “That Girl” trend, some TikTok creators have made videos with more realistic portrayals of self-improvement routines. One example is Rachel Braun, who said in a recent TikTok video that she plans to start a podcast on the subject.
“My life isn’t very pretty or aesthetic, and for a while that used to really bug me,” Braun’s voiceover says at the start of the video. She said that, in the past, she focused too much on what her life looked like than how it felt. Braun also highlights self-help practices that aren’t as “hot” as exercising or cute snacks, such as signing up for insurance, getting a library card and feeding her cat.
According to Bustle, other creators on YouTube have also criticized the “That Girl” trend. One named zoeunlimited reminded viewers that people “don’t need to become ‘that girl’” in order to “actually improve your life.”
Other TikTok users have posted their own versions of the trend even though their surroundings may not be the typical aesthetic included in the trend.
Boduryan-Turner said its fine to be inspired by “That Girl” videos, but urges viewers not to feel too pressured to emulate them exactly.
“Start somewhere,” she recommends. People can do things like waking up a little earlier, going out for a walk, drinking more water, practicing gratitude when they can.
“You’re doing your best, and you can do better tomorrow,” Boduryan-Turner said. “It’s really important for people to start integrating parts of themselves instead of thinking there’s a good side and a bad side to them.”
Related
Related
