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Why Is Boy Math Trending? Let Girlies Decode It Through 'Girl Math'

Last month, "girl math" went viral as women joked about justifying indulgent spending. Now, "boy math" has made its debut as a way to criticise misogynistic male behaviour

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Uma Bakshi
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Have you ever justified spending a little extra on your favourite brand of soap? Or have you written off any expenses made on your birthday as 'free'? Well, there's a word for this type of logic- 'girl math'.

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On social media, the trend of 'girl math' went viral, with many women taking to platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram to share instances of when they've applied 'girl math' in their lives. 

Now, behold "boy math." Instead of finance or decadent spending, this craze is centred on joking about some of men's most ridiculous habits. 

Girl Math

The origin of the 'girl math' phenomenon as an internet trend can be traced back to TikTok user @samjamessssss, according to Indian Express. In a TikTok dated August 2, 2023, she explained how some women often rationalise their spending with a logic that makes sense to them only. The humorous video was the start of a long and viral trend, prompting other women to share how they justified their somewhat dubious spending habits.

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'Girl Math' didn't just apply to one's expenditure- in fact, it was applied to other parts of life as well. 

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Boy Math

However, it wasn't long before men slowly began infiltrating the 'girl math' trend, making misogynistic jokes and further perpetuating stereotypes that women are emotional, overdramatic creatures that have no idea how to spend money. This takeover forced the trend to follow a strict binary- 'girl math' vs. 'boy math'.

In a fun move, the 'girlies' on X (formerly known as Twitter) reclaimed the tag back! Despite the misogynistic content from male users on 'girl math', women began turning it around, questioning the problematic nature of 'boy math' and keeping the trend lighthearted and funny as it was before. 

It does stand to be said that the whole 'girl math' vs. 'boy math' debate excludes people who do not fit in either category, whereas the original lighthearted 'girl math' trend was inclusive. No matter who you were, or what you felt your gender was, you could always rationalise something you did of dubious nature through 'girl math'.

Views expressed by the author are their own


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#TikTok viral Internet Trends X Girl Math
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