By Ciara Salinas

We’ve seen a fair share of simple phrases to describe womanhood become misused. One very notable term is “girlboss” which was coined by Sophia Amoruso back in 2014. At first it was an empowering phrase that acknowledged women could be in positions of power.  However, it soon had its downfall and is now a phrase people say ironically joining the ranks of other once positive but now negative terms such as “girl dinner,” “girl math,” and “I’m just a girl.”  The term “girlify” first meant how mundane activities could be made into something encouraging that women could find enjoyable. However, like most good things, it turned into a disaster since girlification is now used to reinforce the ideas of women being incompetent, and it has been weaponized to validate toxic behavior. 

 For many, these are just playful, heartwarming terms that have been tainted by men, especially by incels. In digital spaces, girlification turned  into a dog whistle to argue that women aren’t competent. First year psychology student Iyanna Mukoro questions the intentions of those who use the term. She said, “I don’t think any woman that has said it or created it, intended for men to, like, take it and completely twist [it] into just this traditional weird thing.”

There are arguments that the phrase “I’m just a girl” is as harmful as saying “boys will be boys.” However, there are differences. “Boys will be boys” is usually used when a male is being reckless toward himself and others or contributing to misogyny. “I’m just a girl” is a less severe way of excusing being incompetent in the moment. 

First year student Mariah Byas feels there is a negative quality to the phrase. She said, “It’s, like, a retaliation. Men get to say ‘boys will be boys’ when they did something objectively bad.”

First year student Joy Paulus is concerned that use of these phrases might cause a self-fulfilling prophecy. She said, “I think that it’s just a matter of, like, don’t overuse it. If you keep saying something, like, you convince your brain, so that’s where you have to take consideration and just be mindful of using these terms.”

There’s no denying that words have power, and there is evidence that the way you talk about yourself can become what you believe to be true. For example, if you call yourself a failure over and over again, you’ll eventually believe that. Words are powerful, so focus on the ones that make you and others feel safe, uplifted and extraordinary.