"Girl Math" trend- The Infantilization of Women

"Girl math" is a commonly used phrase, especially on the TikTok platform and I believe a lot of us enjoy using this term and its other subsets such as girl hobby or girl dinner in our daily life. The phrase "Girl math" is specifically used to justify big purchases or spending habits in a way that makes no mathematical sense. For instance, one might argue that purchasing a $2000 handbag is justifiable because of the number of times they can expect to use it or what they may be saving in return. Or paying for goods with cash is technically free because the money in your bank account is unmoved. Why? Well, the justification is, that is "Girl math" for you. 

I do admit sometimes I love justifying my purchases and make ridiculous mathematical calculations and shove it under the "Girl math" category, it makes me feel less guilty on my spending habits and perhaps hiding behind the fact that I am just "a girl" but I could not help it but to realize how the term reeks stereotype; one being that women are frivolous and can't control their spending. That all women are like Rebecca from the movie "Confessions of a Shopaholic".

A study by Starling Bank on the gendered language around money found that 65% of financial articles in women’s magazines categorized women as excessive spenders. So what does this say about female and the usage of "Girl math"? That female are inherently bad at math and cannot be trusted handling their own finances to the point that they need their own system to justify their unhealthy spending habits? This is why I believe the term "Girl math" is just another attempt at infantilizing grown women. By infantilizing someone is to treat someone as a child in a way that denies their maturity in age or experience. By using this phrase we are endorsing that grown women are incapable of handling their own finances responsibly, especially seeing those who engage in the phrase are mostly those in their 20s and 30s. 

Before we go any further with this discussion, though, it is important to note that the "Girl math" trend started with a segment of the same name on the radio programme "Fletch, Vaughan & Hailey" in New Zealand. In this segment, listeners would call in to discuss a large purchase, and the hosts would assist them in rationalizing the expenditure by going over the cost per use, per wear, etc. of the item. Interestingly, there are two male hosts of the radio show, and the part that came before Tiktok's "Girl hath" suggests—whether consciously or unintentionally—that female interests and purchases need to be justified.

I want to emphasis while I do disagree with the association of one gender to decision-making processes in our purchasing behavior; I believe the "Girl math" trend is actually just a basic application of principles from behavioral economics. As outlined by Max Witynski, author at UChicago News, behavioral economics which melds insights from economics and psychology, seeks to unravel the complexities of human decision-making in real-world scenarios. It acknowledges that individuals don't always act rationally or optimally, even when equipped with relevant information and tools.

Hence, when people use the term "Girl math", they are just rationalizing using the principle from Behavioral Economics. I love this particular quote by Annabel Curran, Senior Arts Editor at Michigan Daily which perfectly describes how "Girl math" is just another concept of behavioral economics. "Girl math shows women separating sunk costs from relevant costs, a managerial accounting method used frequently in business. Girl math shows women understanding what makes them happy; it shows them taking into account what will and won’t bring short- and long-term satisfaction and weighing that against economic costs and benefits. Girl math is a strategy to avoid buyer’s remorse and to maximize the enjoyment derived from a purchase. It shows an understanding of cost-per-wear and how to best measure a garment’s value. Cost-per-wear is hailed as a formula for more sustainable fashion and shopping".

By reframing "Girl Math" within the framework of behavioral economics, we can appreciate it as a nuanced strategy individuals employ to navigate purchasing decisions, rather than reducing it to gender stereotypes. It underscores the complexity of human decision-making and highlights the practical applications of behavioral economics in everyday life. However, we still could not ignore the fact that this phrase still reeks gender stereotype and encourages women to feel guilty of their purchases; that they could not make a responsible financial decision without having to hide behind the phrase "Girl math".

So the next time you want to post your clothing haul by captioning it as "Girl Math", ask yourself if you are endorsing a stereotype that women are incapable of managing their finances responsibly or you are just using the internet phrase cheekily ha!

Reference

1) https://www.theverdictonline.org/post/the-infantilization-of-women-in-mainstream-media-and-society

2) https://news.uchicago.edu/explainer/what-is-behavioral-economics

3) https://www.michigandaily.com/arts/digital-culture/solving-the-girl-math-equation/