It is officially 2022, so I have been thinking about 2021 and what I want to make of 2022. 2021 was a pretty productive year for me. I did a lot! I switched schools, made new friends, got great grades, won a volleyball championship, and overall, worked really hard. I am proud of myself. However, there is an expectation at the end of the year to make resolutions for the new year. I like this ritual, as it is fun to plan out the next year and set goals. However, social media has recently tricked me into thinking that my 2022 needs to look a certain way. I am sure you have seen TikToks about being “that girl.” If you have not, I will do my best to explain what this trend is and why it is affecting my outlook on the new year.

According to TikTok, being “that girl” means eating nutritious food, working out, and being productive all the time. A lot of people on TikTok make aesthetic video montages where they live like “that girl” (they eat a lot of green foods and take walks in pretty parks lol). The intended message behind these short videos is that it is worth it to invest in yourself in order to create a successful life. I agree with this message, and I like these TikToks, especially as the new year is just beginning, because they help me visualize what a productive life can look like.

However, these TikToks can be sneakily dangerous. It is unlikely that I see a motivational TikTok and suddenly stop scrolling, get up, and make myself a green juice. Rather, I usually compare my life to the one I am seeing in the video and feel inferior to the creator of the video. However, what I fail to realize in the moment is that these videos show the highlights of someone’s life in order to get likes and follows, as with all social media posts. However, after seeing so many people post the highlights of their healthy and productive lives, I end up believing that some people actually live with that much discipline all the time. However, it is physically impossible. I am not denying that there are highly motivated people who can discipline themselves really easily, but, if you were that person, would you really be spending your time making a TikTok?

Rest, recovery, and purely recreational activities are crucial to not only maintaining stamina, but they are key to being happy. These TikToks overlook the importance of these things. Taking time to simply enjoy the moment is not something to be guilty about. However, these TikToks make you believe that some people never rest and that these people are superior. However, I promise you this is not the case. Maybe these people rest at different hours or watch less TV, but does that make them a better person? As a teenager, it is hard to be indoctrinated to think that watching Netflix once I have finished my homework instead of meditating makes me morally inferior to someone who does the latter. It is important to figure out what works for you and your body since everybody is different. If you feel anxious after doing your homework, maybe a meditation is a good way to spend your time. However, if watching Netflix helps you calm down and is just fun, why deprive yourself of this?

My comprehensive takeaway from these TikToks is that they can help visualize some aspects of productivity, but they also deceive me into thinking many people are always productive, which is simply untrue. Since we are at the beginning of a new year, resolutions are on my mind, and it is tempting to say I want to be “that girl” in 2022. But I do not think “that girl” exists. I think it is a fake persona created by social media. After all, everyone is different, so how could we all thrive by doing the exact same things anyways? For the new year, I am going to set goals relating to productivity and being the best version of myself, but I am making these goals attainable and allowing room for balance. Going straight to the extreme, “that girl” habits, like always waking up at 5am to workout, won’t work for me. I cannot remember the last time I woke up before 7:30 willingly. Instead, I am setting goals that add to my life rather than take away the things that simply bring me pleasure. After all, there is more to life than working out, eating healthy, and working every hour of every day. I want to be the best version of myself in 2022 rather than being a version of someone else on social media.

Image via Pinterest.