Trendy phrases like “I’m just a girl” and “girl math” have become part of everyday conversation. TikTok trends have popularized them as a satirical response to playful mischief.
However, when this “mischief” becomes serious, like hitting a car or showing up late to an interview, pinning your driving on being “just a girl” or your lack of time management skills on “girl math” becomes a problem.
Pop culture highlighted this idea with the release of the 1995 song “Just a Girl” by No Doubt. Singer-songwriter Gwen Stefani wrote the song after being frustrated at her parents’ overprotectiveness that resulted from her being a girl.
“Girl math” humorously rationalizes faulty spending habits and can be used to justify a lack of budgetary accountability in some women and girls. This phrase first made an appearance when one of the hosts of the New Zealand radio show, Fletch, Vaughan & Hayley, said she “did a bit of girl math” to justify getting her hair done.
Just like how swearing can temporarily increase one’s pain tolerance, phrases like this can give temporary comfort to women and girls, dissuading them from taking adult-like responsibility in serious situations.
Without realizing it, the repetition of these phrases can impact one’s subconscious, potentially infantilizing their mindset and actions.
Merriam-Webster defines “infantilization” as “to make or keep infantile,” or demonstrating child-like characteristics. The maturity to hold oneself accountable comes with age. Using phrases like “I’m just a girl” and “girl math” can be used to cushion the blow of reality when a situation warrants an appropriately mature response.
Because these phrases have been swept up in TikTok trends, they’ve become very prevalent online and are quips that can keep women and girls from taking adult-like responsibility for their actions in serious situations.
After all, I’ve mostly seen these phrases used in nonserious situations. Still, they can impact the way speakers respond to all kinds of scenarios.
I’ve heard these phrases casually exchanged in female friend groups daily and have noticed their literal definitions being overshadowed by their satirical nature. The more an individual is exposed to a word, the more likely they are to gravitate towards it. This is called the mere exposure effect.
The application of the mere exposure effect to the infantilization of women through trending phrases comes when an individual uses one of these phrases so often that their acceptance of its implications (for example, being incapable of driving correctly) increases as they’re drawn towards saying it.
Collectivist thinking leads to a desire to be part of a large group and participate in trends. The more people who participate in trends, the more prevalent they become, and the more they seep into one’s vocabulary.
Repetition of these phrases can also lead to the illusory truth effect. Unlike how the mere exposure effect can lead to an increase in likeability to the object someone is repeatedly exposed to, the illusory truth effect will make them trust information that’s frequently presented to them.
When I was sick and needed to take a nasty cough syrup to feel better, I imagined it was my favorite tea to make the liquid more palatable. Eventually, because I repeated this process so often, I started to believe the medicine tasted good and began taking it more frequently, just as I started feeling better.
Words are powerful. Subconscious infantilization can occur if speakers trust the meaning behind phrases they repeatedly say, ones that likely stem from internet trends.
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