Considering That Girl: Is a Pinterest-Perfect Lifestyle the Answer to Happiness?

Journaling, lathering your face with the best quality skincare, and eating the healthiest of breakfasts is what being “that girl” entails—and that’s only before the rest of the world has opened their eyes.

The viral trend, “that girl,” is meant to inspire one to “become your best self” and promote peak wellness by encouraging an immensely “productive” lifestyle. Beginning in the summer of 2021, numerous people, the majority women, started posting Pinterest and TikTok content with titles like “how to be ‘that girl’ in 2022” or “things you’ll find in my ‘that girl’ apartment.”

Scrolling through Pinterest and TikTok and seeing so many of these videos could give the impression that this year-old trend is as positive and productive as it claims. After all, eating more vegetables, making time for self-care, even being more organized, are all lifestyle choices that can promote one’s overall health and well-being. And for a lot of people, seeing how their influencers make these lifestyle choices through TikTok videos could give them the motivation they need to make similar healthy choices so they can also be the best version of themselves.

However, this trend also sends the clear message that viewers can only become “that girl” if they copy everything they see in these videos and make all the same choices, which is neither feasible for everyone, nor very realistic. It also implies that, if you do not participate, you are the opposite of what “that girl” is—unproductive, unhealthy, and not up to par with society’s standards.

Although this trend isn’t inherently toxic or damaging, it can take a toll on someone’s mental health if they can’t fit into the green juice, yoga, well-rested-but-awake-at-the-ass-crack-of-dawn lifestyle, for whatever reason. With social media being increasingly incorporated into people’s everyday lives, too often are they also comparing their own lives with those they see being posted across social media platforms. The problem is that most of what is being posted is not real, so when people compare themselves to these posts, it can lead to disappointment, low self-esteem, depression, and unrealistic expectations.

“It can even be stressful for someone because maybe they will try to live that type of life but find themselves to be overwhelmed,” Jasmine Contreras, a senior at California State University, Dominguez Hills, said. “Personally, I would have a difficult time trying to be ‘that girl’ and it would affect my mental health. I already struggle with insecurities and knowing that I have to live up to this expectation can be scary and new to me. I would rather do things that make me feel good personally and not do all the things that are expected of me as a girl.”

Trends are exactly that—something that has become popular because everyone is taking part in it in some way or another. Trying to perfect your life, especially because your favorite influencer is doing just that, can alter your life, and not necessarily in a good way.

“I think it can hinder someone’s mental health both positively and negatively,” Catalina Garcia, a senior at CSU Dominguez Hills, said. “For me personally, it made it worse because I felt I was living a lie. I am not the perfectly clean and put-together person that ‘that girl’ is.”

This trend isn’t exactly practical or even financially feasible for those who commute to work, or who might be full-time students or parents, but instead seems more suited for individuals with a more flexible schedule, like those who work from home and can work out, shower, eat, and read a book before 10 a.m.

“I tried to do the vegan/vegetarian diet to be healthier and workout every day while doing a full school workload,” Garcia said. “It just didn’t fit my lifestyle and the way I function. I think it just all depends on the lifestyle you live.”

Time management isn’t the only aspect of this aesthetic that comes off unattainable; it’s the individuals making the videos. Almost every one- to three-minute video is done by those who are skinny, attractive, white, and with access to the finest of things. Whether conscious or not, this not only invites comparisons but also looks like a trend not meant for everyone.

Jasmine Wallis of the Fashion Journal says, “That girl is the epitome of health and wealth. That girl is attractive but in an effortless and natural way. And the algorithm tells us that with a little hard work, you can become that girl, too.”

Social media is a never-ending rabbit hole of deceased trends and aesthetics that have come and gone, and are inevitably thrown out by those who use them. There’s always a new diet fad or workout expert on YouTube that will promise to help you lose weight, and, though it has become the norm, it’s exhausting attempting to keep up with the latest, well, anything.

“It is so overwhelming to me because it is constantly changing. One day there’s a certain lifestyle trend going on and then it dies down and moves to the next,” Contreras said. “You’re just constantly trying to keep up and it can really burn you out. It really makes you question how your life is supposed to be and if you’re doing enough or not.”

This conveyor belt of new trends and ways to better your daily life can be immensely helpful and might bring attention to things you never considered previously. But some diet, exercise or lifestyle choices are not necessarily the best options for some people, especially for those who don’t have the time or economic resources to emulate these trends. A potential way to adjust your everyday lifestyle is to simply do what’s best for yourself instead of becoming overwhelmed with trying to follow every self-improvement trend out there.

“Take a step back and observe what is working and what is not working for you,” Garcia said. “Keep what is working and adjust what isn’t. It’s okay to try new things and admit they aren’t working. If they’re not, move on and try something else. To figure out what works and what doesn’t work, you have to endure some failures. Life is about trials and tribulations.”

Getting inspiration from social media trends might help people live their best lives, maybe even become more healthy, but no one else really knows what’s best for you. So while Pinterest and TikTok can give people ideas, not following those suggestions doesn’t make anyone less than those who do, and they can still be “that girl” by simply being themselves.