<
https://theconversation.com/we-cannot-simply-go-go-go-what-is-girl-mossing-the-wellness-trend-that-rejects-hustle-culture-223202>
"On TikTok and Instagram, people are “girl mossing”: lying on a forest floor,
staring up at a leafy canopy or caressing moss. The United States National
Forest Foundation even borrowed the term to kick off its 2024 Instagram
account. Girl mossing recognises a need to step away from the pressures of
modern, urban life, promoting spending time in nature as a restorative
practice.
The fast pace and pressure of neoliberal capitalism take an enormous toll on
wellbeing: not just personal, but social and planetary. These pressures are
most acutely felt by women – whose labour remains, in large part, undervalued
and underpaid – and by young people, who are often in precarious work, priced
out of the housing market. Yet they’re still bombarded with images of
unattainable success on social media. Not so the moss selfies.
The pressure to succeed, to be a “girlboss” at work, as well as the perfect
girlfriend or wife or mother or daughter, takes its toll on women’s physical
and emotional health. It’s no wonder, then, that women are moving from
girlbossing to girl mossing. Girl rotting is another subversive form of rest
and retreat, focused on being intentionally “unproductive” at home.
While it is challenging to pinpoint the origins and scope of this aesthetic
movement, “girl mossing”, “girl rotting”, and related terms have seen
significant growth on social media since around the middle of last year. The
trend can be traced back to mid-2022, when journalist and influencer Daisy
Alioto tweeted: “The girl boss is dead, long live the girl moss (lying on the
floor of the forest and being absorbed back into nature).”
Her tweet was picked up by other influencers and the term spread to lifestyle
and wellness blogs and the popular media."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
