Paid with cash? It was free! Going to a concert or taking overseas flights? Free, because you paid for it so long ago! Bought something, but then returned it? You’ve made money!
If this makes no sense to you, these are all examples of a social media trend called “girl math” (yes, not maths).
Despite what the ditzy TikTok trend suggests, girls are actually very good at maths.Credit: Astrid Riecken
On the face of it, the trend is funny. Why yes, I’d much rather justify the purchase of a new pair of shoes on a cost-per-wear basis than think about the large upfront cost.
But the underlying joke here seems to be that women are bad at maths, and that’s not a good thing.
It matters because apart from being untrue (and more on that in a moment), for teenagers thinking about future subject choices or careers, it’s tropes like these that could put them off maths-based options, including economics.
The girl math trend appeared first on TikTok, with videos of Gen Z and Millennial women talking about their maths logic.
“Anything under $5 feels like it’s pretty much free. Girl math,” says Canadian influencer Sam James, in one of the earlier Girl Math videos.
The vibe of these clips is often ditzy – “if I pay for my nail appointment in cash, it’s free!” – but that belies the fact that girls, in general, are actually very good at maths.
Why the ‘girl math’ trend is misleading
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11.12.2023
Paid with cash? It was free! Going to a concert or taking overseas flights? Free, because you paid for it so long ago! Bought something, but then returned it? You’ve made money!
If this makes no sense to you, these are all examples of a social media trend called “girl math” (yes, not maths).
Despite what the ditzy TikTok........
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