With over five billion views on TikTok for the “that girl” hashtag, it’s safe to say it’s a lifestyle that many women wish to attain. “That girl” is just a normal girl, like you, who seems like she’s got her life together, but is this just an aesthetic, or an unrealistic beauty standard?

“That girl” is a #GirlBoss who puts in the work to live the life of her dreams while also going with the flow, and she claims you can do it too if you put in the work. Content creator Joie explained, “Following a particular aesthetic makes life somewhat easy,” so many people tried to maintain a balanced lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic, which also explains the surge in the wellness industry.

The creators that dominate the “that girl” trend seem to fall under one archetype: a thin, white woman with money. These patterns of privilege show an unrealistic view, since this lifestyle is not actually “attainable” for everyone, and even those that do follow this lifestyle might feel pressured to keep up with other “that girls,” which can be damaging to their self-worth.

There are a lot of good habits and lifestyle choices that you can adopt from “that girl” videos, but you should also have the mindset that it's okay if you go off track and do what feels right for you. It’s important to talk about how this trend encourages exclusionary behavior, and instead invest in creating an environment where everyone feels encouraged to be “that girl” — whatever that means to them.