We’ve all seen it coming… the new trend: ‘that girl.’ The trending ‘that girl’ aesthetic is a perfect example of the recent uptick in supposed online body positivity and self-care trends. However, are these trends as positive as they seem, or are we once again promoting the skinny girl body on media platforms? This is the paradox of online body positivity.
I have always been aware of the unrealistic body standards that are being pushed on social media but it wasn’t until I started micro influencing that I realized how bad seeing this standard was for my personal mental health. Then a new trend started: becoming ‘that girl.’
The best way to define this trend is becoming a girl who works out every morning, drinks a smoothing, eats healthy, does self-care, but most of all has a Kendall Jenner-like body. The worst part of this trend is that it is posing as something it’s not: body positivity. As I’ve scrolled socials seeing this, I realized that it wasn’t body positivity, wasn’t self-care, and certainly wasn’t inclusive.
These videos gain the most views consistently with the same body type showing how to achieve it. Rationally, I know that the only way to get that body is really good genetics. Irrationally, I started thinking that I needed to diet and over-exercise to achieve this look. As someone who prides themselves on being self-aware of how media affects my mental health, I can’t help but think there are other girls out there who are feeling the same as me, but not recognizing that the only way to achieve that look is with genetics. This idea of showing what you need to do to get this body has become disturbingly similar to promoting eating disorders.
Now, I’m not saying that all body positivity trends are bad. There are plenty of influencers who are really promoting other body types and doing cool content with that, but I also know that the algorithms promote skinny and “socially acceptable” bodies. It is important now more than ever to promote real healthy trends instead of those that tell you to try a new fad diet and exercise routine. The bottom line is that everyone’s body is unique, and a new trend on TikTok is not going to show you how to achieve the look that has been popularized.