On TikTok, a weblog celebrating girlhood goes viral

There is a collective fascination with girlhood at the moment, one that’s spewing weekly TikTok traits and elsewhere, needling conversations about femininity and id. Exacerbated by the unparalleled success of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, ladies and their tales are actually on the crux of media and pop-culture consumption this summer time.

So it is no shock {that a} new weblog, devoted to the highs and lows of being a lady, has gone viral on TikTok. Aptly entitled “Girlhood,” the positioning was based this month by Mia Sugimoto and Sophia Rundle. Painted in shades of bubblegum pink and purple, the Tumblr-esque web site is described by the founders as an “group encouraging youngsters to share their tales and discover the help they want.”

At its core, the positioning’s mission is about empowerment by means of storytelling. Sugimoto and Rundle publish articles and items of recommendation, however readers can submit their very own tales, that are posted on a devoted web page. One revealed piece, for instance, explains a narrative a couple of poisonous friendship. One other publish particulars a lady whose stunning buddy will get consideration from boys — however she herself does not: “Boys don’t have a look at me the best way they have a look at her and I simply don’t perceive what am I doing mistaken.”

The writing is trustworthy, conversational; some items learn like nameless diary entries and others sound just like the hushed murmurings between sisters. On TikTok, the “Girlhood” web page has practically 50,000 followers. On the positioning’s Instagram web page, the founders shared that they’ve had 1000’s of volunteer purposes and recommendation submissions. Their bio states their easy motive: “serving to 👩 all around the 🌎.”

“Girlhood” and its virtually instantaneous recognition is in tandem with the burgeoning conversations about what it is prefer to be a lady rising up within the age of Instagram. The accepted messiness of teenage years is now not simply that. Analysis is displaying that ladies at the moment are in a psychological well being disaster. In accordance with information launched by federal researchers in February 2023, practically 1 in 3 highschool ladies reported contemplating suicide, and practically 6 in 10 ladies reported feeling unhappy and hopeless to the purpose of giving up on common actions.

It is virtually as if TikTok teenagers are taking steps of their very own, out of necessity. The rise of lady tradition on-line speaks volumes. And the query of what additional, extra systemic, help might appear to be arises.

For Sugimoto and Rundle, “Girlhood” is a group of kindness and help, sharing tales that different ladies can relate to, with out questions or judgement. As Rundle’s bio reads: “I stay up for serving to ladies study, develop and navigate the assorted troubles of girlhood.”