It’s no surprise that TikTok trends have a major influence on people. Regardless of whether you’re on the app or not, these trends somehow find a way in our lives. It can be on another social media platform or you hear about it from a friend.
Over the summer, the “That Girl” trend began to gain popularity and is still going strong.
If you’re unfamiliar with it, “That Girl” is a hypothetical individual who focuses on self-improvement and leads a productive life.
Her typical morning includes waking up early to exercise, followed by making a healthy breakfast. She then meditates and writes in her gratitude journal before she completes her extravagant skincare routine. She later sits at her desk and writes down her daily to-do list; she’s ready for her day and has already completed a long list of tasks and it’s only 8 am.
Although the general goal of the trend is to promote wellness and productivity, some people have criticized these videos for setting unrealistic expectations.
Everyone wants to be “That Girl”. She is confident and motivated. She doesn’t waste a minute of her day and is always doing something to improve herself; so why is there a debate on whether this trend is positive or harmful?
The answer lies in how you interpret this trend. Many people want to completely change (not just improve) themselves to reach this level of perfection. Although wanting to make a positive change in your life can be a good thing, it’s important to realize your abilities and goals and stick to them. Comments under these posts range from positive like-minded individuals who enjoy motivating each other, to viewers who claim that this way of life is impractical to follow on a daily basis.
Each creator has different intentions but generally speaking, this trend is meant to persuade viewers to change their lifestyles instead of enhancing their current ones. Since this is a trend online, it’s important to remind yourself that these creators are only showing us what they want us to see: they focus on all the great things they did and don’t record their bad days or any struggles they may face. The “That Girl” trend focuses on inspiring people to live a better life, so creators don’t see the need to showcase any negativity.
Where is the transparency?
Some viewers believe that if creators simply mentioned any challenges they faced in staying motivated and how not every day is perfect, it would set more reasonable expectations.
The majority of videos in this genre of content also focus on making visually pleasing videos, which brings up another question regarding the intent of this trend.
Is it really about bettering yourself or is it simply about achieving a certain aesthetic?
Most of the “That Girl” videos that show up on my feed are strikingly similar. I was curious to see if there was any individuality to this trend and browsed through the hashtag only to find the same conclusion: all the videos were basically the same, sharing almost identical editing styles and aesthetics. This reinforces the idea that this trend is causing people to change who they are in order to be this specific type of person.
Mindset
Although there are positive and negative opinions about this trend, I believe it can be beneficial if you have the right mindset. It’s important to consider your personal goals and what makes you feel better about yourself. Not everyone has the time to complete ten self-improvement tasks before they go to work or school, and that is okay.
It’s all about considering your circumstances and adjusting your routine accordingly. For some people, following the routines exactly as seen on Tiktok might be what they need. For others, they might need to make up their own routines. Whatever the case may be, if you’re doing it for the right reasons and prioritizing your mental health, you’re on the right path.
Take it slow
As we slowly return to our way of life prior to the pandemic, it’s important to take it one step at a time and not feel pressured to jump into this hyper-productive culture that is growing on the internet. At the end of the day, if you put forth your best effort and stay true to yourself, you are “That Person”.