☆彡CYBER UTOPIA [Issue 2] No More Babies in Toyland☆彡

ISSUE 2: am i a facet of the internet or is the internet a facet of me?

For the remnants of gen z, girlhood has been nominated as both a curse and a godsend—heralded online as beyond the comprehension of any man, yet adeptly portrayed within a small number of films stuck inside of a rolodex of representation non-applicable to most. But are girlhood and womanhood so succinct? There is so universal model to adhere to, nor any lifetime experience identical. What becomes of a shared identity when no one seeks to transcend it?

None of this is to imply a purposelessness of the bonds between adolescent girls, and women flung into young adulthood. Though, there is a curatorial aspect within these relationships with oneself and one’s peers. Subcultural signaling is nothing new to the zeitgeist of 21st century youth. There have long been fashion trends, media, and personas adopted or exaggerated by those who adhered to a label. Amidst every newfangled heavily aesthetic focused identity, cultural curiosity was no less than a leg up in bonding with one’s inner circle. A well chosen look was a beacon to kindred spirits adorned with charcoal drugstore eyeliner, hauling a laptop bag littered with cartoon character pinbacks, or donning BAPEs like religious garb.