"That Girl": Society, Psychology, and More!

Connecting "that girl" to experiences beyond my own. For the "Going Deeper" Assignment for JOUR 199: Surviving Social Media

Who is "That Girl" ?

Wake up at 5AM. Work out. Make a green smoothie.

"That Girl" has it all. She is organized, productive, and takes care of herself. She not only journals, but meditates. She makes nutritious meals, works out, and cares about aesthetics.

On Tiktok, #ThatGirl has 4.0 billion views and countless girlboss influencers that all strive to be "that girl". But this trend isn't the first wellness or self-improvement trend that the internet has seen and loved. #whatieatinaday has 11.6B views. #dayinthelife has 6.1B views. #bulletjounal has 2.7B views. #nightroutine has 3.7B views. #growthmindset has 676M views. Emily Mariko, a self-described "food, fashion, and lifestyle" Tiktoker with 10.6M followers and 441.6M likes, skyrocketed to fame after her microwavable salmon-rice dish went viral. (1)

So, clearly, people are interested in the effortless lifestyles of these girls who seem to have it all. But why is it so popular?

What does "That Girl" value: and what does it say about societal values?

According to content creator and "that girl" Olivia Eve Shabo, “When I first began to see that my TikTok algorithm had transitioned into wellness and health content, I began to feel less guilty about mindlessly scrolling. I was fascinated by how much a short clip could motivate me to get up and move my body, wake up early or get work done.” (2)

The "that girl" trend inspired Olivia to adjust her lifestyle and make self-improvement content for both herself and others. What makes "that girl" content so addictive is its sense of order, repetition, and recurring aesthetic. Everything is perfectly timed and schedules are followed perfectly. "That Girl" has seemingly found a balance between social life, work, fitness, relationships. And it seems achievable. As a consumer, you feel like- if I just stick to a routine, have self discipline, and get that summer body, then just maybe I can become my idealized self!

"That Girl" markets itself as the person that you could be. The person who society puts on a pedestal as a role model. Who has it all and who makes her own reality.

In a post-COVID world, almost everyone has felt a loss of control. People have lost their jobs. Been in isolation for months on end. Seen people fight over rolls of toilet paper. Lost loved ones. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), during just the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25%. (3)

And the long-term effects of COVID recovery are still being studied. "After surviving COVID-19, some people are left with lingering anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. Physical changes such as pain and weakness can be complicated by long periods of isolation, stress from job loss and financial difficulties, and grief from the deaths of loved ones and the loss of good health." (4)

The routine and self-discipline of "that girl" can be attractive to those who are struggling to adjust their lives to this "new normal". "That Girl" plays an active role in deciding who she wants to be. In a society where few things are certain, this constancy brings with it a sense of control.

So, then, why the controversy?

If you look up "That Girl" online nowadays, chances are you'll see a lot of critics. Many people point out that the "that girl" lifestyle is unattainable in the long run and that it masks the not-so-glamorous aspects of everyday life. Furthermore, it's eurocentric and preaches an uninclusive lifestyle that very few can actually afford- a world accessible only to the wealthy, the pretty, and the white. From just one day living life as"that girl", I learned firsthand just how much planning and thought went into every action. Plus, not to mention all of the setbacks and incidents that ruined my picture-perfect, routine lifestyle.

Lifestyle content has long been linked to wealth, class, and privilege. And in order to fit the instagrammable "sustainable lifestyle" that so many influencers preach, privilege is often necessary. At the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, it was demonstrated "that sustainability is strongly linked to wealth and privilege. The people creating the least environmental impact are invariably the world’s poorest people, and they are paying the biggest price."(5)

People want to see life from a privileged point of view. Yet, at the same time, the blatant privilege of the lifestyle can make it difficult for people of varied backgrounds to relate.

Furthermore, there is the argument that "that girl" is really just a repackaging of hustle/grind culture. Hustle culture glorifies ambition and a"striving, relentlessly positive" lifestyle. It's even coined the term #ThankGodItsMonday. (6) Many of the tones and themes of hustle culture can be seen reflected in the "that girl" trend. The carefully timed workouts and morning routines of "that girl" attempt to optimize productivity and show viewers what life could be like with a little more self-discipline (which is not true for many, of course).

What Happens when you Commodify Yourself?- a Look into Influencer Psyche

But the audience is not the only one affected by "that girl". The influencers themselves are put into a unique position where they are constantly being judged. Companies sell products. "That Girl" influencers sell their lifestyles. And what they receive in return is far more than just money: validation, brand deals, social clout, endless fans.

According to New York- based fashion reporter Alexandra Mondalek, “I was putting too much weight into who was viewing my Instagram. I would worry about how a post was performing instead of making important calls. I felt a certain pressure to make a brand of myself, and there was so much anxiety in that.”Although the long-term effects of social media use on content creators is yet unknown, its detrimental effects on self-confidence have been reported. (7)

The framework of the "that girl" trend only serves to further amplify the anxiousness of influencers with its rigid expectations and no room for schedule-breakers or imperfections. The audience serves as an invisible pressure, where influencers know that they are being watched and are hard-pressed to deliver routine content that fits the standards of the audience. Although I kept the worst parts of my day to myself, I felt as if I needed to constantly being doing something to produce aesthetic content for my blog, often giving away or showcasing the best parts of my day.

The concept of the panopticon becomes increasingly significant in this circumstance, and ties the ever-observant influencer audience into modern surveillance. The panopticon is a prison system that allows a watchman to observe occupants by use of a bright light. However, the cell occupants are not able to view the watchman, and must assume that they are always being observed. (8) Although the argument can be made that most individuals are under constant surveillance from private companies companies and global governments, influencers even more so, with the pressure to constantly perform.

Benefits Outside of Social Media

Although the consequences may seem to outweigh the benefits in terms of surveillance, clearly people still see the benefits, even for those in unlikely fields. Many healthcare workers are now turning into "med-fluencers" or "nursefluencers". Maybe you've heard of Dr. Pimple Popper, aka Sandra Lee M.D., a dermatologist with 4.5M followers on Instagram, and whose rise to fame has created several "pimple popping" subcultures on Instagram. In fact, "there are now so many medical professionals on Instagram that at least one hospital has created an entire position to govern it. Austin Chiang, MD. . . also holds the position of chief medical social media officer, which he guesses might be the first of its kind in the country." (9) According to the AAFP, side hustles, fame, a way of coping with hospital stressors, educating the public, advocating for healthcare policies, finding an outlet for creativity- these are all reasons for why so many healthcare professionals are turning to social media as a way to benefit not only their career, but their social lives as well. (10)

Ultimately, the concept of influencers is constantly changing. However, through an in-depth look into the "that girl" trend, we are able to get a glimpse into the motivations, controversies, and habits of a lifestyle influencer and what it says about the values of society.

Sources Cited

1: https://www.tiktok.com/@emilymariko

2: https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/that-girl-tiktok

3: https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2022-covid-19-pandemic-triggers-25-increase-in-prevalence-of-anxiety-and-depression-worldwide

4: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/covid-long-haulers-long-term-effects-of-covid19

5: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brookerobertsislam/2019/05/20/sustainability-is-linked-to-privilege-teasing-out-the-truths-from-copenhagen-fashion-summit/?sh=5d01691a7b6d

6: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/26/business/against-hustle-culture-rise-and-grind-tgim.html

7: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/08/instagram-influencers-psychology-social-media-anxiety

8: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/23/panopticon-digital-surveillance-jeremy-bentham

9: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/5/10/18535853/doctor-instagram-nurse-doctor-mike-influencer

10: https://www.aafp.org/fpm/2020/0100/p19.html