The term “VSCO girl” came about in January of 2019 when Youtuber Greer Jones uploaded the first video detailing how to become one. Then in June, the first Urban Dictionary definition surfaced, defining them as “a very aesthetically pleasing girl who edits all her Instagram pictures with the vsco app with the filter C1. She will normally have a Hydroflask, fjallraven kanken, or a polaroid camera.” You probably know the type.

However, I have to ask: why does there have to be a name for girls who like to use reusable water bottles and be comfy in oversized t-shirts? It seems that every time girls do anything, the internet goes wild. Drinking a PSL? Basic. Women’s rights activist? Feminazi. Thrasher? E-Girl.  Band T-Shirt? Poser. The list of stereotypes associated with teenage girls is endless.

That being said, we all know that girls being labeled and put in boxes is nothing new; in the early 2010’s, there was the “Tumblr Girl,” and in the late 2000’s there was the emo girl. Is the VSCO girl just the next new thing?

A lot of girls who attend Hampton are becoming fed up with the constant criticism, while some may argue it’s all in good fun. While most internet memes and comments mean well, they can just make girls feel like they can’t like anything without being made fun of. 

To me, this generation of girls is one of the most unique and impassioned ones yet. Everywhere you turn, girls can be seen dressing how they want, speaking about what they want, and fighting for what they want. Not only that, but teenage girls are getting more and more involved in current world issues.

There is much debate about “saving the turtles,” when in reality, this is just a stereotyped phrase that people like to claim VSCO girls know nothing about. HOWEVER, I’d like to argue that girls in the 21st century are more conscious about their actions and the consequences associated with them than any other previous generation of young women. 

So in the end, why does it matter that girls want to go easy on their hair by using scrunchies, or they want to reduce waste by using reusable water bottles and consuming less meat? Do we have to assume that girls like this are all the same? Do we have to assume that they are all shallow and fake? The reason that these young women are put into boxes seems to be because others are simply too lazy to look past the stereotypes and get to know the person. 

Odds are, the answer to all these questions is no; altogether, the real answers simply lie behind what is easy to believe. 

Have an opinion on this? Let the Hamptonian know down below.