The role of women in social media trends [27.03.25]
On March 17, Jana Dombrowski gave a talk on the topic of “Social media and the role of women”. The talk took place as part of the Women's Culture Days 2025 in Marl.
TikTok and Instagram in particular are home to numerous trends that have one thing in common: They are aimed at women and place gender ideals and stereotypes at the center of their social media content.
The talk took a critical look at how trends are created, what messages are sent and what commercial and political interests underlie them. For example, the much-discussed Tradwife trend originates from the conservative parts of the USA. Religious denominations and right-wing conservative parties have an interest in ensuring that the hetero-normative image of women as housekeepers and carers remains attractive. They use the imagery and narrative to gain credibility for their own points of view. However, companies and the tradwives themselves also benefit by attracting attention. The ideals presented appear more attainable through the purchase of advertised products.
However, there is a multitude of trends that create a field of tension around identity as a woman. Social media makes it clear that there are different and sometimes contradictory ideas about what femininity and being a woman means. The tradition-oriented #tradwives and #stay-at-homegirlfriends meet the career-oriented #bossgirl. The self-optimized #thatgirl meets the #lazygirl, who is not interested in healthy routines. And the #vanillagirl dressed in white and beige meets the #mobwife armed with fur and red lipstick.
However, virality does not always equal popularity. The visibility of the content also helps to stimulate further critical dialogue. The talk in Marl ended with precisely this goal and such stimulating discussions.
