Who is “That Girl?” Well, according to the Urban Dictionary, the term means, “A girl that gets up at 5 a.m., meditates and journals, and someone who eats healthy, goes to the gym everyday, and is successful in many ways.” 

Although this trend might be aesthetically pleasing, as well as almost the dream for most girls, it’s not realistic. It can be very toxic to the way we perceive ourselves and our lives. Throughout this trend, it only shows the highlights of what life is, and can lead to unhealthy comparisons of what a productive and fulfilling lifestyle should look like. For girls our age, it can place the idea that in order to be beautiful, you have to be “her.” “She” is someone who wakes up before 6 a.m., is obsessed with the gym, has a smoothie every morning, and who always looks put together.

“I think the ‘That Girl’ aesthetic is realistic if you are completely passionate about what you do. If you want to create high expectations for yourself and allow yourself to succeed, then I do believe this is realistic,” said senior Grace Martin, “However, I know it isn’t for everyone and can possibly be seen as overworking yourself and worrying too much about your personal appearance. This could be damaging to teens’ mental health because of the ‘That Girl’ expectations that are set on them from a young age to have perfect mental health, go to the gym, and eat healthy,” Martin goes on to say. 

The reality is people don’t need to go to the gym everyday, or have the want to drink a smoothie or wake up before the sun. None of these things take into account mental health or any other perception of what people have in life. You are still “THAT GIRL” for listening to your body and prioritizing what you feel will give balance to whatever life you live. Taking care of yourself should not be an aesthetic and more of an actual practice of doing. None of us girls should feel like we are not enough or not capable of a certain aesthetic because at the end of the day we are all unique and have our own version of healthy living. Please know that no matter what new trends come or what new styles deem to be popular, that you are always enough.