In an ever-growing age of social media trends that inspire social change, a new cause called Girl Love aims “to build women up and break the cycle of girl-on-girl hate.” The trend, started in December 2015 by YouTube star Lilly Singh, aka “iisuperwomanii," has gained over thirteen thousand subscribers on Instagram and even had a panel at VidCon in June which featured Singh, Lindsey Sterling, Rosanna Pansino, and Cassey Ho.
But what exactly is Girl Love? According to Singh and her fellow YouTubers and social media celebrities, it is turning jealousy and hatred toward other girls into admiration and love, despite society’s established norm of girl-on-girl hate. By empowering women rather than tearing them down, a true support network can be created amongst women that will help them to continually grow and develop as individuals. This new community will ideally be able to stand up for equal treatment and instill those beliefs into a new society.
When girls see their idols pitted against one another in magazines, TV shows, and almost everywhere else, it gives them the impression that they are fighting against every other female they see. This learned habit that girls are our own competition limits the capabilities of many feminist and girl empowerment movements as the prettiest girl is too popular to talk to, or the fattest girl is too ugly to include. All sorts of media enforce these thoughts with their cliché cat fights and overdone conversations between two jealous friends fighting over a guy or a friend criticizing a girl on the street for looking like a “slut.” If women continue to shame one another, then they only bring themselves and each other down, creating a downward spiral which hurts the entire group.
As a rising college first year student about to attend an all-women’s college after twelve years in coeducation establishments, I realize that girl-on-girl hate is a pressing issue as many middle and high school girls only see each other as competition and judge one another constantly in order to boost their own self-esteem. Now as I head off to college, I realize that if I had supported the girls I criticized, I may have pushed myself to become as confident and successful as they were in their high school years. The next four years will be even more harrowing as my new school, Wellesley, is known for being both socially and academically competitive; but the newfound network of inspiring and driven women I have heard from already motivates me to become the inspiration for a girl that I can teach to love her fellow sisters. And while I may not have the celebrity friends to support me or lift me up, it’s not about that, and the initiators of Girl Love also point this out: it’s about uplifting any women in your life, because a compliment can go a long way. Along with this new wave of support comes a new wave of thinking that can help to prevent a lot of bullying and self-hate among women of all ages, from teenage girls to grandmas.
Ultimately, in a society that is benefiting from girls hating and shaming one another, it is a rebellious and noble act to stand against the crowd and lift women up.
