In today’s tech-savvy world, the opportunities for hyper-fixations, interests, and hobbies are endless. With increases in diverse social media content and “chronically online” users, one would expect changes in society’s treatment of teenage girls. Instead, there continues to be a social culture that targets the interests, actions, and happiness of girls.
The Rise and Fall of Music Stars
As a 2000s kid, I witnessed firsthand how quickly a celebrity’s social reputation can change from being a global idol to a guilty pleasure. Growing up, my heart was first stolen by Justin Bieber, followed by One Direction, and eventually Taylor Swift. While I admit as a 6-year-old, I wasn’t the most loyal fan in the world, these frequent changes in celebrity interests demonstrate the cycle of mockery revolving around teenage girls. As stars become increasingly popular with young female demographics, their reputations continue to rise before facing an onslaught of negativity and judgment from general audiences. The negativity becomes so large that it becomes a popular trend to hate on the star and judge anyone who openly supports the artist. Young female fans then internalize this judgment and force themselves to stop openly expressing interest in the artist, or lose interest altogether. We’ve seen this cycle time and time again with various music celebrities, in which liking them goes from cool to weird.
Gender Hypocrisy
When the Eras tour film was first released, young girls were openly mocked for happily dressing up, singing, and dancing at movie theatres. But who mocks men who dress up in jerseys, scream at TVs, and pay hundreds of dollars to attend sports games? Both audiences are happily indulging in their interests and yet one group is judged, shamed, and mocked. This double standard is a reflection of society’s misogynistic culture that shames women for openly expressing themselves.
What’s the Impact?
- Homogenization of girls
Through internalized judgment, young girls are taught to dispose of their criticized interests in favour of those deemed socially acceptable. This causes girls to be afraid of being themselves and unashamedly having their own hobbies and interests.
- The rise of “I’m not like other girls”
Have you ever wondered what socially caused the TikTok trend “I’m not like other girls”? Instead of creating a supportive environment in which girls support each other, internalized misogyny turns girls against one another for male validation.
- Teaching girls to perform
In order to fit in with others, young girls are socialized to hide their true interests. This is especially impactful in socially formative years. Also, this socialization may spill over into other aspects of the girl’s life, shaping their personalities and decisions around social and male validation.