You may have seen recent TikTok trends “girl dinner” and “girl math”. While as a girl myself, I find these terms to be apart of my recent vocabulary. Although, there could be potential side effects from adding “girl” to common skills. In this article, I am showing both sides of the debate; is “girl” empowering or sexist?
Pro “girl” Argument
A pro when debating the terms such as “girl dinner” and “girl math” is that is simply started as a joke for the girls, by the girls. This trend is supposed to be light hearted and not taken personally. If you have never heard of “girl math”, here is an example. Suppose if you don’t buy the coffee today, you’ll have extra money tomorrow and resulting in you buying a coffee and muffin tomorrow. Because you didn’t spend the money the previous day, the muffin doesn’t count as you spending money today. Many girls argue that adding “girl” isn’t because the math is technically “wrong”, it is just a silly phrase to demonstrate and rationalize their own purchases.
Here is a great example of a girl explaining “girl math:
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8rcKVDU/
Anti “Girl” Argument
On the other side, some think that the use of “girl” is demeaning to women. They connect the inaccuracy with a false stereotype of women. For centuries, women were seen as “less than” men and not given the same education and resources. Women today face unequal pay and education due the long history of sexism. They think associating “girl” with false math is just enhancing the stereotype that women aren’t as intelligent as men. Another topic that arises with this is specifically the term “girl dinner”. Majority of the “girl dinners” shown online, is a combination of snacks, not a balanced and filling meal. Many think this is playing into the eating disorder stereotype and the societal pressure to be skinny many women and young girls experience.
Here is TikTok influencer @halleykate’s opinion on “girl dinner”