“And I oop—”
The ‘VSCO Girl’ stereotype personality shames girls Nihal Karim Here’s the tea, sis. The VSCO Girls have been seen all over the internet. Well known phrases such as “sksksksk” have been repeated and made fun of by many teens. The “VSCO Girl” stereotype is a basic girl stereotype that emerged online and became popular in 2019. Many memes were posted which contributed to the creation of the VSCO Girl aesthetic. VSCO is a popular app among teens for photo editing. Aside from the app’s appealing filters, many users like it because the app does not allow people to comment or like someone’s pictures, which makes it seem like a more accepting and inclusive platform to many of the users. The app influenced the VSCO Girl stereotype of a teen girl who likes to shop at brands like Urban Outfitters and Brandy Melville, wear oversized t-shirts or crop tops, use accessories like friendship bracelets, and more. In general, it is seen as a trend where teenage girls embrace popular brands and use a lot of products associated with the stereotype to create a beachy, street aesthetic. The trend became mainstream through social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. These memes typically make fun of or parody those who use some of the stereotypical items worn by VSCO Girls, such as Hydro Flasks, friendship bracelets, and scrunchies. In addition, these parodies often include popular phrases used by the girls such as “and I oop—,” which emerged from a viral Instagram video of drag queen Jasmine Masters, and “sksksksk,” which signifies laughing or snickering in text conversations. “I don’t think it’s right to have a negative connotation on VSCO Girls. It’s not right to say that this is what VSCO girls are and that they are really annoying. Not everyone who wears things that are a part of the stereotype considers themselves a VSCO Girl or even has a VSCO account,” Tayler Wise, a senior, said. Even though the stereotype has VSCO in the name, it centers around the behavior and the fashion style of the girls who are considered a part of the trend. “I think the stereotype is kind of funny, especially because many girls identify as VSCO Girls,” Leah
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McMillen, a junior, said. “This doesn’t apply to everyone who uses VSCO, though.” Since the memes increased in popularity, many teenage girls have been teased for conforming to all or some parts of the stereotype. Although the VSCO Girl lifestyle often includes promoting positive environmental change, that aspect is made fun of as well. “I think the VSCO Girl stereotype can be perceived in many different ways. On one hand, the girls are spreading awareness about a bunch of different environmental concerns, such as the plastic levels in the ocean,” Taylor Snow, a junior, said. “On the other hand, the stereotype is hurting a lot of girls who just want to fit in with the high school crowd that can be harsh at times.” The memes portray VSCO Girls as annoying or basic, which may result in some false assumptions about teens. “I think that having this ‘basic girl’ stereotype could be annoying for people who like some of the things that are considered stereotypical like shell necklaces and messy buns,” Wise said. “This causes them to be put into categories that they may not necessarily fit into.” Since the stereotype is seen as a joke, many teenage girls dislike the term VSCO Girl and being associated with it. “Honestly, I don’t get why people are shaming VSCO Girls because they are just being themselves. People should just be able to do or wear what they want without being made fun of or teased for it,” Megan Lo, a sophomore, said. However, since so many of the items considered stereotypical are commonly used by teenage girls, many people stop caring about the negative trend and wear what they want. “Since we’re in California, many of the typical VSCO Girl items like Hydro Flasks, Birkenstocks, and friendship bracelets were pretty popular here before they blew up nation wide,” Snow said. “At the end of the day, it isn’t really a big deal.” Because the trend makes fun of commonly used things and is generally seen as a joke, most teenagers tend to look at the situation as a meme and continue to wear and act in these stereotypical ways. “Personally, I think the whole trend should be taken with a grain of salt and not too seriously,” Snow said. “We should all just laugh about it.”