As a young woman, you’d think it would be easy to exude confidence. You’re often told that you’re in the prime of your life in college. We’re the most captivating, sexy, and skinny version of ourselves — according to the world — so just be confident, right? Buy the mini skirt, wear the crop top, and embrace your youth! You know, before you age.
As a college student who has undergone the second wave of puberty, this is a seemingly impossible task. It’s challenging to be confident when you look at pictures of yourself from high school and notice that you’ve gained weight, even if it’s a realistic part of growing up. It’s even worse when people point it out to you. Thankfully, navigating this feeling is manageable when you can watch other young ladies in college who look like you appear confident in themselves. Even though the internet can fuel insecurity and unrealistic beauty standards, I see so many confident young women on TikTok and it makes me happy. This brings us to Tube Girl.
“Tube Girl,” also known as Sabrina Bahsoon, is a recent college graduate who became an overnight TikTok sensation a few weeks ago. She acquired the name “Tube Girl” from filming 0.5 camera-angled TikToks of herself on the London tube. Yes, you read that correctly — she filmed the videos on London’s underground public transportation system, commonly called “the tube.”
In her videos, Bahsoon shows many angles of herself lip-syncing to TikTok audios with her hair blowing in the wind behind her. She looks stunning, but she also looks like she’s having fun. It takes substantial confidence to create videos of yourself in public, which seems to be the reason she’s gone viral. Many people admire her confidence and overall attitude, per her comment sections. Seeing Bahsoon being openly supported and complimented by others is so touching.
The initial viral video, posted on Aug. 13 with over 10 million views, and the handful of videos posted after have inspired numerous other young women to partake in this trend. Many women are building their confidence while creating and publicizing these videos. The women in these videos are filming in various places, such as public transportation systems, as Bahsoon did. Some strut around subway stations or within the moving subway itself. Other locations for filming include concerts, cars, and even college classrooms.
This movement, though started in London, has reached young women across the globe. From Warsaw to Tallahassee, the “Tube Girl” videos are everywhere. I am genuinely floored at how far this trend has evolved. Nonetheless, it is heartwarming to see young women on a global scale encouraged to feel confident in themselves, rather than being taunted or laughed at. It also seems that everyone partaking in this trend has been having so much fun.
My first thoughts on the “Tube Girl” videos weren’t anything revolutionary. When the videos first went viral, I had just moved into my new apartment, so I was behind on the trend. After watching the TikToks spread for a week or two, though, I decided to partake in the trend, and it was super entertaining! Who knew that videoing yourself in public could be this exciting?
Though it didn’t completely cure my insecurities, making the TikTok reminded me of the little joys of girlhood. Filming these videos might seem silly, but they can help with confidence and body image if you let them. It’s more about the message behind the “Tube Girl” trend than the videos themselves anyway (though all of these girls look fantastic). It’s about learning to feel confident in your own body and supporting other women doing the same thing. Seeing millions of girls support one another on social media in a world where we are encouraged to tear each other down is one of the most remarkable things I have ever witnessed.
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