National Arab American Heritage Month
What is National Arab American Heritage Month? (credit to our recent MEDIAGIRLS post on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter) This month is National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM), and we at MEDIAGIRLS would like to take the time to acknowledge the significance of this month-long observance. Most essentially, we would like to see how it is […]
Celebrating Easter on Social Media
Today is Good Friday, and Easter is this Sunday. One of the most important religious holidays in the Christian world, and for non-Christians in a culture designed around this particular faith tradition, it’s a fun way to spend a springtime Sunday with egg hunts and candy. Easter tends to slip under the radar compared to […]
Turning Red
If you haven’t seen the film yet, Pixar’s Turning Red is receiving substantial recognition across all forms of media. Turning Red tells the story of 13-year old Meilin “Mei” Lee and her experiences with “puberty, cultural expectations, and her newfound tendency to turn into a giant red panda when overtaken by emotion” (NYTimes). Taking MEDIAGIRLS’ […]
Cancel Culture in Wartime
Last week, Spotify stopped doing business in Russia. However, unlike a lot of American companies who left in protest against the war in Ukraine, it’s clear that Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin wanted Spotify gone. Putin is cracking down on all spaces where Russian people can receive or discuss information that deviates from the story he […]
Women’s History Month
What is Women’s History Month? It’s March, so let’s not forget about Women’s History Month! Before we dive into how you can engage in the celebration of this month on social media, I’ll provide a brief background on what women’s history month is and why it’s important not only for our MEDIAGIRLS community but as […]
Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills Are On the Rise. We Can Fight Back.
In the past few months, some incredibly hateful legal actions in Texas and Florida made national headlines. Idaho and Georgia are following their lead, and there will be more. These laws attack LGBTQ+ kids and their families, denying them their right to learn about the world and about themselves. MEDIAGIRLS is a Boston-based nonprofit, and […]
#BlackJoy
As we begin the month of March and mark the end of Black History Month, I’d like to commemorate its meaning with an inspirational and impactful form of resistance. Motivated by and credited to a MEDIAGIRLS Instagram post made this past week (@mediagirls), which refers to which Black TikTokers you should follow, and credited to […]
Black History Month & The Youth Movement
In light of Black History Month, we at MEDIAGIRLS would like to commemorate a special individual that shares the same goals as our organization and girls+ community. One dominant historical figure, Martin Luther King Jr., enters the minds of many when reflecting on this month and its meaning. Although Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday and […]
#REALMEDIAGIRLS of 2021
2021 is winding down, and what a year it’s been. As we look back on the last year, we at MEDIAGIRLS want to reflect on some of the real-life women who made headlines in 2021 and the lessons that they can teach girls+. The six women on this list are some of many who broke […]
Giving Thanks on Social Media
Thanksgiving is one week away. This holiday is awash in complicated feelings, but the core of it is definitely worth celebrating. This is a time to take stock of the year you’ve had and enjoy the simple beauty of having made it through another one. Through all of life’s ups and downs, every life has […]
Halloween Scares On Social Media
Halloween is upon us, and there’s a lot to be excited about. Costumes, candy, parties, decorations – I like the spooky season as much as the next gal. Still, for every good-natured fright, there are some real scares to account for every Halloween, many of which are exacerbated by social media. Let’s break down three […]
Body Redefined by Neutrality
Beau Ideal Social media prompts various questions concerning the self. This is clearly apparent in many of the platforms we interact with. We must ask ourselves how we can establish who we truly are when we are too often told to tailor ourselves to the external forces and expectations around us? How can we recognize […]
The Influence of Quizzes on Self-Identity
Amazon Prime has released its second season to one of the most real, heart-warming shows on its platform, Modern Love. The show itself is a romantic anthology series based on true love columns written for the New York Times, Modern Love. One episode this season, titled “Am I… Maybe This Quiz Will Tell Me” struck […]
Five Incredible Follows for this Indigenous People’s Day
Fast approaching is one of America’s most complicated and controversial federal holidays: Columbus Day. Commemorating the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas, the modern world essentially begins here. However, we as a culture tend to overlook the bloodshed that shaped the colonial exchange and ultimately led to the founding of the United States. In […]
TikTok’s Troubling Beauty Standards
Social media has a messy relationship with, well, most tenets of reality; the priority is often less an accurate depiction of a person or the world, but a version of the aforementioned that maximizes attention and interest. This is especially true of a platform like TikTok, where users have mere minutes to make an impression […]
TikTok Made Me Buy It
TikTok is a massive juggernaut in the pop cultural arena. Millions of people around the world are active on the app, and naturally, advertisers and marketers are eager to tap into this market, especially the younger demographic that may include your girl+. In this article, we’ll break down the commercialism of TikTok and the strategies […]
Introduction to Cottagecore
Cottagecore is a fashion and lifestyle trend that’s made an impressive splash on social media platforms over the past year. Its defining ethos is its attempt to recreate an idealized quiet life in the countryside — flowy dresses, Emily Dickinson poems, baking cookies out of dandelion petals, and so on. Cottagecore celebrates the beauty of […]
Vaccines and Social Media Literacy
With over 60% of Americans twelve and over at least partly vaccinated, the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States appears to finally be on its way out (fingers crossed). However, getting vaccinated has become a contentious topic for a lot of people. Social media platforms have always been forums for people to voice their own […]
Social Media Summer Mindfulness Techniques
Summertime is here, and that can mean exchanging the stresses of the schoolroom for those of the social internet. Luckily, there are some relatively simple strategies and practices you can use to keep the stresses of social media at bay to give yourself a more mindful, mentally healthy online experience. These aren’t counters to every […]
The Pros and Cons of Online Activism
The murder of George Floyd led to an explosion of online activism, particularly amongst young people. New accounts were formed with the sole purpose of explaining issues of institutional racism to their audiences, infographics popped up everywhere, and everything from videos to petitions to GoFundMe campaigns were shared widely. Now, one year after George Floyd’s […]
How George Floyd’s Murder Changed the Way Young People Use Social Media
One year ago this week, the world watched as George Floyd was murdered by a police officer. The injustice and brutality of his death sparked protests around the US, around the world, and all across social media. On the anniversary of George Floyd’s death, we asked our Youth Advisory Board how his tragic murder impacted […]
Indya Moore: Activist, Actor, and Model
With the LGBTQ+ Day of Silence having just passed, MEDIAGIRLS Editorial Intern, Catrina Yang Farrell uses this blog post to celebrate Indya Moore–a trans and nonbinary actor, activist, and model–and highlight some of their powerful work in fashion, film, and advocacy. As a transgender black woman who identifies as nonbinary, Indya Moore is no stranger […]
Inspiring LGBTQI+ People to Follow on Instagram
On 2021’s LGBTQ+ Day of Silence–a student-led day of action to spread awareness about the effects of the bullying and harassment against members of the LGBTQ+ community–MEDIAGIRLS Editorial Intern Catrina Yang Farrell gives us a rundown of six inspiring LGBTQI+ individuals who we should follow on Instagram. Tanya Compas @tanyacompas (She/Her) (Photo from Tanya Compas’s […]
Women’s History Month According to Our YAB: Part 2
In Part 1 of Women’s History Month According to Our Youth Advisory Board, we asked our YABbers what the biggest challenges facing women and girls today are and who we can look to for inspiration in fighting against these challenges. In Part 2 of Women’s History Month According to Our Youth Advisory Board, we ask […]
What JoJo Siwa Coming Out Means for LGBT+ Representation
In a TikTok lip syncing to Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and wearing a sweatshirt with the words “Gay Cousin” on it, JoJo Siwa, 17-year-old popstar and teen sensation came out to the world. If you don’t happen to have any preteen daughters or are over the age of 13, you may not know who […]