Teenage Girls Can't Have Hobbies Without Being Ridiculed

Written by Andie Ettenberg

February 22, 2022

We’ve all heard of the typical “Astrology Girls,” “Gamer Girls” and “Crystal Girls.” There has always been some kind of stigma around teen girls who are interested in certain things. Should their peers find out that they like things like astrology, they are often dismissed as stupid for believing in such a thing. Many of these stereotypes are taken to the extreme, such as the typical “Basic White Girls,” donning Ugg boots and hoodies, or the “Emos” with their Doc Martens and eyeliner. 

No matter what a girl's interests are, they never seem to “know enough” and often are subjected to being called fake or posers. The idea that certain hobbies are exclusive for men underlie the jokes and humor surrounding the stereotypes. Many common hobbies have a background of previously being exclusive for men or solely marketed towards men, such as skateboarding or gaming. These hobbies can be much harder for girls to get into, as the people surrounding them tend to not welcome the idea of women making their way into “men’s spaces”. The idea of not being welcome in a community brings about a major issue that can come to a head when a girl is trying to pick up a new interest. 

Gatekeeping is a concept that has come to the public eye more recently as new trends crop up and the internet creates spaces for those with common interests. The idea of gatekeeping is to prevent people from making their way into online spaces or interests that have closed communities. Oftentimes, the reasoning behind doing so is to keep the show, music, or fandom from becoming “mainstream”. Gatekeeping can often be taken too far, however, when it comes to typically more “masculine” hobbies. Women can be subjected to sexual harassment or bullying when playing sports or video games, all due to their gender. 

In addition to all of this, there is an idea that everything women do is for the purpose of male attention or approval. That is likely not the reason a girl is participating in something, however when it comes to makeup or sports, (which seem like polar opposites at first glance!) there tend to be similar comments made about them from outside perspectives. Women who are interested in makeup may be told that they are catfishes or that they’re “trying too hard”. Women who watch or play sports may be told that they “don’t know enough”. The stereotype of the “pick-me girl” runs rampant on Tiktok, Youtube, and other social media platforms. A “pick-me girl” will do anything for male validation, from faking being interested in something to putting their friends down. The origins of the “pick-me” meme are unknown, however, it is safe to assume it stems from insecurities and assumptions from teenage boys. All of the stereotypes are interconnected and can stem back to sexism and ideals from even 50+ years ago. It goes to show just how much society today is still impacted by the past. 

It’s time to mature past the judgment and sexism. Let girls do what they want, let them grow up free to express themselves. Suppressing them with “jokes” and putting them into boxes is a new form of misogyny that is not spoken about enough and is becoming normalized to the point where it has become part of “gen-z culture”.