If 2018 was the year of Insta-baddies, then 2019 must be the year of TikTok E-Girls.
With the rise of users on the popular app TikTok, Instagram influencers are scrambling to post whatever and whenever they can to maintain traction. A recent study shows that Instagram engagement rates have hit an all-time low and with its removal of likes, we can only wonder what’s next.
TikTok is a rising social media app that allows users to post videos lip-syncing or dancing to music. Users have since transformed the platform to be a collaborative space for comfortable self-expression.
Much like Instagram, many users take to the app for outfit ideas, music recommendations, beauty tutorials, and memes.
The term E-Girl has been around for a few years now and was (initially) a misogynistic slur for women whose passion for gaming was seen as a way to gain male attention and money. However, Gen Z has since redefined it and created a whole new subculture of it in the TikTok world.
With its extremely specific style and aesthetic, it’s hard to miss on our feeds.
E-Girl style typically involves mixing alternative and edgy aesthetics like chains, chokers, earrings and layering monochromatic pieces with softer, anime-like aesthetics such as loads of blush, pigtails, hairclips, and hearts drawn under the eyes.
E-Girl style is very interchangeable and customizable that there is no way to pinpoint it’s main features exactly.
With such a large online presence, a range of memes (e-girl factory) and videos of YouTubers poking fun at the fresh trend have increased. However, there has also been a rise in tutorials on how to look like an E-Girl.
Although the trend has garnered negative reactions with many calling it ‘cringeworthy’ and a ‘rip off of emo culture’, we have to give them credit for their confidence and creativity.
This makes me wonder, what’s next for the trend?
