From 'that girl' to 'rat girl': TikTokers are sick of manicured wellness content, and now crave mischief

You’ve seen “that girl” on TikTok — the one who puts her daily green juice concoction on display while speeding through a to-do list. “That girl” certainly has her place, but according to trend experts, people are now craving content that’s a little bit more “mischievous.”

The “that girl” trend, which has been popular online since at least 2021, is a celebration of productivity and health that is packaged in an aesthetically pleasing way. Videos of morning routines, self-care habits and glow-up tips have garnered 18.5 billion views for the #thatgirl hashtag. Those posts are divisive — they have drawn praise for romanticizing chores, and criticism for promoting “toxic” hustle culture.

Regardless of your stance on manicured wellness content, there’s a vibe shift happening. According to a trend report from global insight consultancy Verve, members of Gen Z are “pushing against expectations of productivity and polished perfection to embrace a messier, more chaotic style.” In other words, it’s cool to be mischievous.

Social media users embraced “rat girl summer” and “feral girl fall,” but a desire for messiness and true authenticity surpassed mere seasons of impishness. Caner Daywood, the director of content strategy at the global influencer agency Buttermilk, told Yahoo News that mischievous content is emerging as a whole new era “in the aftermath of ‘faux authenticity’ and the post-pandemic ‘sad girl.’”

“This new appreciation for chaos [...] grants everyone the liberty to break away from those constraints and simply ‘be’ in the unpredictability of the present circumstances,” he said.

Gen Z’s desire for authenticity has long been discussed. “Authentic” was even Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year for 2023. Then again, experts agree that posting on social media is inherently inauthentic — to show yourself to the world is a performance, even if you’re showing yourself in a disheveled, imperfect state. And yet, choosing to show yourself in a state of mischief is rejecting the expectation that you need to be putting your best foot forward online at all times.

“A collective wave of emotions has swept over everyone — a mix of sadness, liberation and bewilderment — as we’ve sought to escape the confines [...] of slouching over our screens all day long,” Daywood explained. “[We’re now experiencing] true freedom, marked by a surge of creative abandon and an ‘IDGAF’ energy.”

As the internet becomes increasingly commercialized and AI makes it easier to approach visual perfection, some users are bucking the status quo with a playful, rebellious energy. We Are Social, a global creative agency, identified “mischief mode” as one of its five trend predictions for 2024.

“As brands and creators fight for space in a monotonous, monetized landscape, many are rediscovering that sometimes, the best way to be noticed is to act out,” the report stated. Gen Z is leading the charge, as cultural critic Anne Helen Petersen said. “They’ve always had that allergy to sincerity, that drive toward being weird and anti-capitalist. Now, through that lens, they’re seeking out what originality looks like in this world,” she told We Are Social.

Mischievous content is anything that playfully bucks the norm. Skibidi Toilet’s surreal storytelling, which feels as ominous as a bad dream, topped YouTube’s list of 2023 trends. From Bobbi Althoff’s deadpan podcast questions to Amelia Dimoldenberg’s “Chicken Shop Date,” awkward interviewers reject the polished salesmanship of typical high-profile sit-downs. Sabrina Bahsoon, known as “tube girl” for her chaotic lip-syncs on the crowded trains of London, embraces the unabashed confidence of “delulu” energy.

Posting or consuming mischievous content might not be the key to achieving true authenticity online, but it’s certainly a good way to guarantee you’re having fun. We could all use a little of that.