Goodbye Boole, Hello Girl Maths
By Opinion Editor Baneen Talpur
“Girl math” has been all over my instagram feed lately and I am here for it. Once again, I am being reminded of the fact that I have not had one original experience, as women online explain the reasons behind their financial decisions; paying with cash means it’s basically free, as I did not physically see the numbers go down in my bank account. I aspire to reach the point where anything under five euro is free but as of now, I work a minimum wage job where every cent counts (shoutout to the cost of living crisis!). Girl math is about actually spending the money women earn on things that bring them joy and, of course, society is not happy about it.
People think girl math is dumb, some people are saying that it reinforces the idea that women cannot be financially responsible and are incapable of making their own decisions. I disagree with this strongly as some of the girl math way of thinking has been very insightful, for example when women justify buying more expensive items of clothing in terms of cost per wear. In most cases the more expensive choice means that you are getting a better quality product, one that will last much longer than the cheaper option, making it more financially worthwhile.
Girl math is powerful when it comes to economics. Buying Taylor Swift and Beyoncé tickets have been a factor in stopping the US from entering a recession. Women are willing to pay for these shows, travel out to new places to see them, and bring money into local economies through getting their iced coffees and silly little treats. Entire towns are benefitting from the girl math effect.
After centuries of not being able to have financial control, women are finally making their own money, which in turn, is providing them with agency. Being financially independent is one of the best things a woman can do to improve the quality of her life. Women no longer have to stay in abusive relationships because they are being empowered by making their own money. As much as we would like to believe that money cannot buy happiness, in a lot of cases it can buy a woman freedom, which in many ways, is synonymous with being happy. It allows for the one thing that millions of women over centuries have not had their whole lives: control. Finally having agency after years of oppression can lead to some fun behaviour that may seem irresponsible to others. It can be like a kid getting money to go into a candy shop for the first time, they will spend all their money and go rogue but will be happy with their choice. I believe that women should be able to have this too, to not be mocked for it especially when ultimately it is benefitting the economy at large.
Over 80 per cent of all purchases are made by women, according to Bankrate. Women are making most of the decisions on household purchases and are shaping the finances of many homes. In southern cultures, men of the house often earn and give the money to their mothers to run the household. It is typical that when Asian people emigrate, to send money back home to their families, where the mother is more likely to run the expenses of the house.
Overall, I think that the dismissal of the power of girl math and reducing it to another tactic to bring women down is not right. Girl math is influential, and men have spent centuries trying to profit off of it, so why is it becoming a problem when the woman benefits too?
Boy math though, is where I find this trend gets really interesting. While girl math is a fun trend celebrating women’s financial freedom, boy math has some very stark social commentary going on. Boy math reveals some of the most pressing issues in society. Examples such as “boy math is wanting zero kids but also having zero condoms on hand,” or “boy math is waiting until her 18th birthday and thinking that doesn’t make you a pedophile,” reveals some of the dark misogynistic views that men have and issues they perprepatrate into society, especially in regards to women. It is a witty way to expose some of the major problems that we have today. Boy math is revealing how men view women as objects that they can control. How so much of how men view women is sexualised. Women are calling men for their double standards, their commitment issues and honestly I’m here for it.
I would love to see how years down the line, historians will use the girl and boy maths trend to analyse our way of living in the 21st century. It is commenting on patriarchy, rape culture, domestic violence all in an absurdly accurate, punchy way. As I scroll through my phone, reading posts that are holding men accountable for their trash can behaviour while indulging in my treats, I will think about how my math is literally changing the world for the better and once again, I continue to be a girlboss.
