Does The “That Girl” Trend Create More Harm Than Good?

Source: In The Know

Like many other rising aesthetics, “That girl” found its way to popularity through TikTok in late 2021; with thousands of viral videos listing how to successfully bring productivity and wellness into the new year. Unlike many other fashion or beauty subcultures, “That Girl” has quickly become a concept where you document certain aspects of your life that contribute to your self-care journey.

Some of these ideals include waking up before 8 am to begin your morning workout, completing your skincare ritual, making fresh green juice for breakfast, grocery shopping, and writing in your 5-minute affirmational journal. Although these ideals seem harmless, the trend has seemingly marketed itself to become a glossy image that perpetuates an unrealistic lifestyle. 

Being an average scroller myself, I initially didn’t see the issue with glamorizing even the most simplistic events in your day, considering almost all of our daily practices are done in our home. But, as I dug deeper into my feed, there was a growing concern that many young and impressionable users would want to indulge in something that was unpractical. With over 2.3 billion videos in the #ThatGirl trend, many of the videos appear to be done in a minimalist and effortless state where one is drawn to the appearance of the routine rather than focusing on implementing those ideas into your own lifestyle. Thus creating a hyper fixation on self-improvement, where in order for you to have a “That Girl” day, you have to meet this performative aesthetic for it to really serve as motivation.  

Being on such a strict schedule to achieve this daily success can create pressure on one self to generate a visually pleasing environment that is being shown on social media. Causing stress to constantly make time to keep up with weekly tasks such as, attending pilates class, cooking three healthy based meals a day, having a spotlessly clean room and reading a novel. 

Laurie Santos, a professor at Yale who studies happiness and teaches the courses, The Science of Well-Being, tells i-d, “Whenever I see people engaging in wellness practices without a little bit of self-compassion, I often get worried that the practice of going after being a healthier person is making you more unhealthy — just because of the stress of doing that.”

Working to achieve all the habits is time-consuming that not everyone has in 24 hours. Instead of moving at your own pace, “That Girl” is a vigorous regimen with a list of steps you must follow in order to be part of the trend. So, how can you be “That Girl” without being restricted to such harsh policies?

Instead of reducing yourself to reaching a daily goal with limited time, utilize the aspects of this trend by making it a goal on your own terms. Instead of trying to make an aesthetic morning latte every day, try to make it twice a week. Instead of waking up before 8 am every day, practice doing it on weekends. With personal adjustments comes change, focus on including primary factors of “That Girl” that serve as a positive purpose to your own realistic environment. Wellness is an important priority that shouldn’t be destroyed by the hands of a trend.  

What do you think about the “That girl” trend? Leave a comment below!