Hyperfemininity is defined as women who believe their success is determined by maintaining a romantic relationship with a man.

All over the internet, femininity is defined in relation to men, but recent media is creating a positive change to that definition. Social media is creating a community where women are free to express themselves, whether it be conventional or not. Women are beginning to hold themselves to their own standards instead of the standards of a patriarchal society. 

Historically, women have always faced prejudice and have been forced into a box of being a housewife and mother. As modern feminism progresses, that box that restricts women is still prominent, but the standards are changing. Now, women are expected to be smart, work jobs, and take care of their families. 

One thing has stayed true all throughout history: the standards that women are expected to fulfill are always based on the needs of men. 

When women were expected to stay home, working women were looked down upon, and in modern day, women who want to stay home and be traditional wives are often judged for not being independent. Throughout history, the situation has changed, but the judgment women face stays the same. 

Recently, on social media, there has been an uprise in posts regarding girlhood. This became popular following the release of the Barbie movie, and #Girlhood now has over 1.2 billion views on TikTok. These posts contain the unfiltered experiences of simply being a girl.

Girlhood posts can vary from the unique bond of female friendships to the unfairness of patriarchal society, to stereotypical girly interests like Taylor Swift or makeup. The posts create a well-rounded version of being a girl, including both positives and negatives. 

The girlhood trend gives the word femininity a new meaning, making it something that is actually for and about girls, instead of something that pertains to men. It creates a community where women are able to express interests and emotions online and not be judged. 

Sophomore Masie Webb voiced how the uprising of these videos on her feed has positively affected her. “It’s nice to see a more realistic version of what it feels like to be a girl being portrayed on social media,” she said. “It’s so tiring seeing these unrealistic and perfect depictions of being a girl, and feeling like I don’t fit into that standard.”

Society often views the lives of women as a black-and-white matter, and recent media is beginning to show that being a woman is much more complex. If a girl doesn’t know what exactly she wants, that’s okay too because there are no limits to what a woman can be. 

Sophomore Hanna Jensen expressed her opinion on the complexities of being a girl, and why being stereotypes are so harmful. “I feel like women should be able to be whatever they want with no judgment, like if you’re a stay at home mom or if you’re working and single, either one is perfectly acceptable and neither should have negative connotations,” she stated.

Women are no longer defined by the standards that men have put on them but by their own standards. Through the embracement of girlhood on social media, women are reclaiming femininity to be something that describes them as a collective, not something that describes women’s reliance on men.