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Let’s discuss a Tik Tok trend.
Scrolling through Tik Tok is one of the many ways I like to distract myself after a day. As myself and many other people are aware, there is controversial data and opinions whether or not social media is a healthy pastime. Tik Tok is known for its trends, one of them being “Girl Dinner.” The “Girl Dinner” trend targets women, specifically women who are in the Gen Z generation.
What is “Girl Dinner?”
The “Girl Dinner” trend is a short clip followed by upbeat music by a user singing “girl dinner” in a captivating catchy voice when the Tik Tok itself is a variety of women posting how to make their very own “Girl Dinner.” When I first saw this trend, I found it to be a fun, creative, and relatable way to connect with other women online.
The comment section.
A majority of Tik Tok users enjoy the comment section because it is a way to interact with a video by commenting or liking those comments. As the trend became more popular, the “girl dinners” themselves began to promote lack of nutrition and normalizing small portion sizes for adult women. Whether or not some of these meals intended to promote these ideals, it has created conversation.
Why is this trend worth discussing?
As I mentioned, “Girl Dinner,” has mainly been focused around Gen Z women, and most of these women participating in this trend, are working in minimum wage jobs and or heavy labor jobs. This is important to note because it has created conversation with employers whether proper breaks have been given to their employees. If employees are given no meal time option when they are at work, it makes me wonder whether or not overworked women do not feel they have the time to consume a nutritious meal.
How does this affect someone’s identity?
I do not think it’s a surprise that a lot of women unfortunately struggle with body image issues, especially women who use any form of social media. Luckily, there are positive platforms and influencers who promote body positivity, but society standards on how a woman should and shouldn’t look are hard to unlearn and overcome. Comparing yourself to others online unfortunately is not uncommon, and the “Girl Dinner” trend has promoted lack of eating which can affect someone’s body and how they view their body and other bodies.
Do not normalize not eating enough just because it is a trend.
Trends and social media platforms are a fun way to express your lifestyle and experience other people’s lifestyle. With that being said, it is important to have conversation especially when there is potential harm in a trend. Women should keep creating conversation with one another because it can create a better future for others and acknowledge you are not alone.
Women deserve to feel they are worthy enough to have a complete meal.
Here’s a resource that may help you navigate this heavy topic.
ShoutOut! James Madison University 
The title of your blog post immediately grabbed my attention! This Tik Tok trend is stuck in my head, and I hear it all the time. I also see this trend on my FYP daily of individuals using the filter or sharing their girl dinner. I really appreciate you shedding light on the other perspective of this trend and how it could negatively impact one’s body image. Thank you!
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I think it is crazy how glorified girl dinner and almond moms are on TikTok. Popeyes even came out with a “girl dinner” meal option to hop on the trend. While it may be a funny joke at first, these things are definitely putting out a negative image of eating.
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I appreciate your offerings, and I definitely think that we commonly see a trend where fun light-hearted movements can work to highlight a few issues that bubble under the surface. Girl dinner in theory can definitely be a fun trend that shows off people’s weird dinners that they’re just throwing together with what’s left around the house. However, because of looking at the nuanced issues of body image, capitalization of digital trends, and gender, it brings to attention how damaging showing off what food we’re eating can work to do more harm than good. Rather than the emphasis being on the sillier aspect of weird ingredients or food coming together to constitute a meal, many have gone into comments or made stitches citing how little they eat. And it’s unfortunate that we’ve become so accustomed to watching how people try to show off how they eat less when it’s very concerning but it’s how we’ve been socialized to think about food and eating. Especially when it comes to women or femme identifying people.
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It’s funny before hearing about this I didn’t “know” what girl dinner was, but I “knew what girl dinner was. I personally associate it with someone who doesn’t feel comfortable with their body and uses this as a kind of diet, which can be an unhealthy habit. I know the feeling of having a long day at work without eating and then getting home and scarfing down a large meal right before bed, and how uncomfortable that can be. Were you able to find positive or healthy alternatives if you are someone who has to get a really late meal in?
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