Meera Mathur
Illustration by Justin Remotap
As a sad and aging senior, even I have to admit that at this point, it’s Gen Z’s campus and we’re just living in it. An important part of assimilating to Gen Z culture is being up-to-date on all the newest social media trends. This means brushing up on your Tik Tok dance skills, Twitter memes, and Instagram hashtags. If you’re a boomer or just live under a rock, you may be thinking to yourself, “What the f*ck is an e-boy/e-girl?” Never fret, reader. We consulted Urban Dictionary to give us some background knowledge before we get to the nitty gritty. An e-boy is “a boy who generally lives on TikTok/Twitter and only gets likes for his beautiful face.” A choice result for “e-girl” informed that “an e-girl is a species of emo usually found on TikTok, but commonly spends time on Tumblr,” while another says that there are different subspecies of egirl, such as the “gamer e-girl”, the “artsy e-girl” or even the “TikTok/VSCO egirl.” Intrigued by this new culture, 1870 did a deep dive into our eresearch to compose a list of five things that you need to do to be an e-boy or e-girl.
1. HAVE 5,000 FOLLOWERS ON EACH OF YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS.
This means Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and even Facebook, guys. We don’t care if you only know 10 people in real life. We don’t care if you made your account back in 2010 and haven’t been active in years. We don’t even care if you have to go on the dark web to purchase fake followers with Bitcoins. Clout isn’t free, ladies and gentlemen. Put in effort.
2. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE STYLE AND AESTHETIC.
If you’re looking to transform into an e-girl, go to your nearest Target and purchase some cute hair clips, pink eyeshadow, blush, and some chains. Surf the web for a new pair of chunky Filas. Get a cute Thrasher hoodie from Hot Topic even though you don’t know what a Thrasher is. No one will question it.
If you’re trying to gain e-boy status, boys will need to head to their local tattoo parlor that provides piercings as well. (May I suggest Evolved?) Get a dangly earring for that fresh and grungy look. Your next stop will be to search for a couple hundred different beanies, some fresh new Vans, and a skateboard. No worries if you can’t skate, you won’t actually ever have to ride it.
3. GET UP TO DATE ON THE LATEST SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS.
If you hear the words “renegade” or “obsessed” and don’t immediately think of the iconic TikTok dances that they describe, start watching those tutorials and work on your moves because you’re already behind. Have your Twitter alerts and notifications on at all times (yes, even during class) so you won’t miss the latest celebrity scandals or new memes. On time is late when it comes to the Internet, honey.
4. DROP WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND MOVE TO NEW YORK CITY OR
LOS ANGELES.
Still in college and hoping to receive your degree? Tough shit. TikTok star Charlie D’Amelio is only 15-years-old and is already a part of the “Hype House,” a content creative collective located in Los Angeles. In order to truly capitalize on your internet fame, you’re going to have to abandon your current life and chase that high all the way to the Big Apple or City of Angels. Otherwise, it looks like your e-status will be as short-lived as a Twitter meme format.
5.FIND YOUR NICHE.
As mentioned on Urban Dictionary, there are many different subcategories of e-girl and e-boy. Find out which one fits your style the most. Are you into art or music? Maybe try some new makeup trends, create an innovative TikTok dance, or curate some beats to add to your Soundcloud. Or maybe video games are more your forte. Make a Twitch or Discord account and stream yourself playing some of your favorite games to your growing audience. Interested in writing or comedy? Try coming up with some funny tweets or TikToks that’ll be sure to have the whole squad laughing. There’s no shortage of possibilities when it comes to the Internet.
