Growing up in a world surrounded by skyscraper buildings, when stilettos were the new trend, and a devil wearing Prada was only a dream. Girlhood is the colour in our lives, it’s the small things which make becoming a woman a little less intimidating, Girlhood can mean many different things but to Georgie, my best friend and a woman who was fascinated with films like Barbie, “girlhood is the perfect way to describe how you feel, it sums up many different things growing up as a women.” It’s friendships that are built on the conditions of growing up. “The terms and conditions of growing up are changing, as well all change.” In Georgie’s world, girlhood is discovering what you like, what you don’t like.
The term ‘girlhood’ has been trending on social media platforms, it’s the expression of freedom, a collective of women and girls sharing what girlhood is to them, discovering how we live now. Asking young women when they first heard this phrase of girlhood, Cailian Mcgee explains “I discovered it within conversations, then I just started seeing this thread everywhere.” Social media has allowed us to share our thoughts of girlhood, sharing our thoughts on “girl dinner” as well as “hot girl walks” and the trending phrase “I’m just a girl”. Girl dinner to Georgie, is her “gluten free bread and fish fingers, with cold veg on the side.” After a long Sunday waitressing, girl dinner is what you need. These phrases trending on social media are proclaimed from film culture such as the release of Barbie. Defining “girl dinner”, it’s essentially dinner without rules. It reminds us of the freedom to choose what to eat and it reminds Georgie of her favourite night in, “when her dad would work late and it was snacky bits.” Every day goes past where you repeat the same thing, with TikToker’s vlogging “vlogs which would help fill the gaps in the day, for something to listen to.”
Girlhood is feeling every emotion. Growing up, we often fear the idea of feeling everything, and taking it in. It’s about leaning on and trusting your circle. It goes against the social media trends such as building an empire, the key to the corporate world. The cross between worlds, when I asked Georgie about her life now, and does she ever wish she went for the corporate dream? “No, I chose myself and my needs, it wasn’t going to add anything, but only stress that it’s’ what I should be doing.” Many of us find ourselves stressing over what we should be doing and not what we are doing. Oh, I love being a woman, the late-night gossip on the sofa, checking the texts you received from the boy that puts butterflies in your stomach. It’s cooking together, with a glass of your favourite red wine, de-briefing your week, and dancing in the kitchen with your soulmate. Girlhood is finding your soulmate in your best friend, and baking a cake to celebrate everything because no matter how small the achievement is, you must celebrate everything because you deserve to. Standing bold, Georgie described “I get to celebrate every milestone, with my people, with the people who just dance it out when life feels heavy, that’s what makes girlhood so sacred.”
Girlhood trends are sacred, they are a testament to how society has changed, how culture has changed from toxic men. As it’s far better finding your inner child in your 20s rather than your 50s-60s.