Social media is a toxic place for the most part. It showcases an ideology of how our lives should be and what we should be aiming to achieve. The ‘that girl’ mentality has heightened the expectations of ‘the perfect lifestyle.’
The idea behind the 'that girl' lifestyle is waking up at the crack of dawn, drinking a healthy juice, going to the gym, meditating, ticking off every box on your to-do list and eating your five a day all before 9 am to be the best version of yourself. This routine may work for certain individuals but it’s not realistic for everyone.
Social media influencer, Eli Rallo, also known as 'The Jarr' on TikTok, has spoken publicly about her feelings towards the lifestyle and believes it does more harm than good. Speaking on her podcast ‘Miss Congeniality with Eli Rallo’, Eli spoke about the idea of being ‘this girl instead of trying to be ‘that girl.’
Speaking in an interview with hush, Eli said: “I think it’s a trend that we see going round of people aspiring to a very minimalist, healthy lifestyle but obviously we know that there isn’t one way that health looks and it is very close-minded.
“I think the idea of ‘this girl’ is that you already are ‘this girl’, and you have the ability to aspire to be the best version of yourself.”
The ‘that girl’ mentality caters to women alone. There is no such thing as trying to be ‘that guy'. The mentality feeds women the idea that we shouldn’t be ourselves and we should aspire to be someone else.
Eli said: “There’s no problem with just being yourself.
“The ‘that girl’ mentality is very exclusive for many reasons and there are many reasons why it can be seen as exclusionary.”
Mindlessly scrolling is a dangerous game, and it’s done through every social media platform.
The ‘that girl’ ideology has become a trend through TikTok, which is a social media app where video content can be promoted. Through the app, women are sucked into witnessing the routines and lives of others. Through social media, people share more good moments than bad, and we are constantly seeing the happiness of individuals and blocking out the reality of the situation – nobody is perfect.
Eli said: “I think there’s a world that if you’re a highly impressionable person then it can affect so many young girls.
“Social media does do more harm than good, if you’re just able to block out the noise then that's fine but it’s so hard for some people.”
There is no best way to be. There is no routine we should aspire to follow and there is no specific way of life that we need to have. Although the mentality isn’t meant to be harmful, it does lead to a lack of representation. ‘All life and all beauty is perfect.’ That is the mentality we should have as a society.
Eli has spoke about her thoughts regarding the mentality frequently throughout her social media platforms, podcast and within interviews too.
Eli said: “I love green juices and smoothies and I work out every day, but I can do all those things and eat pizza with my friends, or have a sad moment or not wake up at 6 am or have pink bed sheets or wear glitter eye makeup.
“I can do things that I love and do things that are good for me without subscribing to this mentality that it’s the best way you should be.
“I recommend taking inspiration, but do what in your gut makes you feel happy, and the rest will fall into place.”
Have a listen to Eli's podcast episode regarding the 'that girl' mentality.
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