The Two Sides of “I’m Just a Girl” Trend
Ditulis oleh: Jesslyn Natalie Effendy
Recently, a trend on social media started around 2022 and is still going until now, where women and girls share their various experiences, from mundane and tedious occurrences to the remarkable and momentous events they go through in their daily lives.
Using a song called ‘Just A Girl’ by a band called No Doubt, a lot of women partake in this trend by making a post to which most women can also relate.
With the phrase “I’m Just a Girl” as the primary and highlighted point, this trend continues to resurface from time to time, with other microtrends created by it that more or less have the same meaning and purpose. Through the trend, women can share things they experience exclusively with each other without having to explain further why they do it since the point of the trend is to share things that women and girls can relate to — for example, sharing some tips and tricks to mend back a loose hair tie, capturing a moment where there is a lipstick mark on a straw or cigarette, holding a helmet given by an online motorcycle driver away from their head so it does not touch the hair directly, or having to cover up their pretty clothes because they are going to take public transportation, etc.
This trend could be perceived as a wholesome way for women to bond with each other indirectly by sharing their experiences using a form of media to connect. Unfortunately, some people who consume this trend seem to think otherwise. This supposedly harmless trend takes a turn into a media where women use this as a counterproductive way to stray further away from the stereotype given to women.
The so-called “I’m Just a Girl” trends have sparked criticism for their tendency to diminish and infantilize womanhood. This trend implies that the women participating are childish and lack essential life skills or knowledge. Sad to say, but some of these criticisms of the trend have some truths into it.
People took the trend out of the initial context and ended up sharing things that could push an agenda where it might be mistaken by the public. For instance, a woman who is not well versed in driving gets into a minor accident and uses this trend to share that they are incapable of doing so and refuses to take any accountability for the mistake because it is all fine since “I’m Just a Girl.” It is safe to say that this trend falls into the gray area.
If we look closely at the trend, The song ‘Just A Girl’ plays the most important role in a way people might perceive the meaning of the song differently because of the song’s sarcastic connotations. The song ‘Just A Girl’ was released in 1995 and written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont.
During an interview, Gwen Stefani elaborates on how she wrote the song because people look at her and other women differently just because they are females. If we look at the song’s lyrics, we can immediately see how it talks about the struggle of being a woman, in which women are often viewed as lesser beings who are more defenseless, vulnerable, and delicate.
There are double standards that are applied to women unfairly that exist to restrict women from fully living their lives and just enjoying womanhood. Women are being perceived to suppress their curiosity and follow the “rules” society created for them despite it being against their will. This clearly depicts the harm of patriarchy in our society, where patriarchy imposes masculinity and femininity character stereotypes in society, which strengthen the iniquitous power relations between men and women. To put it simply, the song ‘Just A Girl’ implies lots of discrimination that women need to face because of society.
When analyzing the negative side of the trend, there seems to be a pattern; it is used to decide women’s status by putting women down or by giving women an excuse for their actions. Saying that they are “just a girl” might insinuate that women hold no responsibility for their actions; it’s an alternate method to take away a burden.
We might also think that it’s just a silly trend, but does it really feel that way for the people who are constantly exposed to the trend? It cannot be ignored how social media these days are accessed by almost everyone, regardless of age. Most kids these days who are supposed to be still under parental control get access to social media way too early and way too quickly.
These silly trends might not be misinterpreted by some, especially the people who are already of age, but what about the kids who somehow get a hold of this trend and see the part where it seems that some might push a stereotype where women are incapable of doing things correctly and think that Oh, so this is what being a girl is like, when it is in fact, not all like that. One example is how some 10-year-olds are supposedly enjoying their childhood and playing outdoors with their friends. Still, somehow, they are already way too obsessed with an anti-aging face product due to the influence of the media they consume on a daily basis. It is important to be concerned about where children are picking up and perpetuating the worst aspects of this trend that generalize the demeaning of women’s worth by making the statement, “I’m just a girl.” But then again, it does not mean we should police everyone who joins and still follows the trend.
At the end of the day, we cannot brush off the positive side of this trend just because some aspects of it can be detrimental to girlhood. The term “Just a Girl” is more or less similar to the term “boys will be boys.” Both phrases pose as a derogatory expression towards two genders where the user is trying to normalize or cover up certain acts or behaviors that are not supposed to be tolerated, even though the latter seems to be more well-accepted by the public. The initial point of the “I’m Just a Girl” trend is to show that women can reclaim the derogatory term used to minimize their dignity as human beings, which should have been granted to be viewed as equal to others, into something empowering and fun. Women can make mistakes, women can have feelings, women can show emotions, and women can also have fun.
The phrase “I’m Just a Girl” perfectly encapsulates the meaning of life; even though life may be unpleasant and terrible, sometimes we need to simply step away from all the “rights and wrongs” and enjoy our lives.
Womanhood is not something that is set in stone. We can be full-grown adults while still enjoying life, doing childish things, and being playful and free without completely infantilizing ourselves. The purpose of the trend is to share how wonderful it is to be a woman; even though women have flaws, we can also take our time to embrace them — straying away from stereotypes that have pushed women to align themselves with traditional images of beauty, sweetness, and innocence.
The “I’m Just a Girl” trend is one of the examples of two things that can exist in one, and we cannot say whether this trend is positive or negative.
Wiping out the negative part of this trend is undoubtedly impossible; the least we can do is stay mindful of how these things could affect others.
Instead of seeing this trend as a justification for something others might disapprove of, it’s important to accept it as a mindset to appreciate life and make the most of it. We can look away from the sour part and have fun.
References
Benitez, T. (2022, March 10). Behind the Song Lyrics: “Just A Girl,” No Doubt. American Songwriter. Retrieved July 9, 2024, from https://americansongwriter.com/im-just-a-girl-no-doubt-behind-lyrics-meaning/
Felmlee, D., Inara Rodis, P., & Zhang, A. (2020). Sexist slurs: Reinforcing feminine stereotypes online. Sex roles, 83(1), 16–28.
Gudgeon, K. (2023, October 27). “I’m Just A Girl”: Should we be worried about this TikTok trend? Her Campus. Retrieved July 9, 2024. From https://www.hercampus.com/school/bristol/im-just-a-girl-should-we-be-worried-about-this-tik-tok-trend/
Mantilla, K. (2013). Gendertrolling: Misogyny adapts to new media. Feminist studies, 39(2), 563–570.
Rawat, P. S. (2014). Patriarchal beliefs, women’s empowerment, and general well-being. Vikalpa, 39(2), 43–56.
Rosa, J. (2019, September 24). Gwen Stefani says feminist anthem ‘Just A Girl’ is about ‘power through your sexuality’, vulnerability. ABC News. Retrieved July 9, 2024, from https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/gwen-stefani-feminist-anthem-girl-power-sexuality-vulnerability/story?id=65822695