Have you heard the term “girl math” and what do you think of it?

[Mreader]

I think it’s super sexist and I hate it. Examples include things like spending more on something to get free shipping, spending more in order to use a coupon, justifying something by cost per wear, etc. The bottom line is that you are still spending so it’s “girl math”…as in girls like to shop so will do things to rationalize purchases. That’s how I interpret it anyway. It’s just annoys me and then I see this on IG:



Thoughts PS peeps?

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

<---Spirit Baby says it all

Depends, mostly it's just vacuous and lighthearted.
It gives me 'the ick' as the girlies say when applied wholesale to piss poor decision making and smacks of infantilizing(I realize it's not that deep, but still).

 

[VRBeauty]

Well…

Having just watched as my husband padded a $300 order for two inner tubes with $50 worth of gadgets that he suddenly “needed” - because a $350 order gets free shipping - I’m pretty sure that kind of rationalization is hardly exclusive to “girls.”

But it annoys me too. As do blond jokes, Florida man and other broad brush smears. And it makes me wonder why a vendor would want risk offending their customers like that.

 

[nala]

Ever the woke generation, they also have tik toks on boy math, lol…so no sense in getting worked up over sexism.
An aside, hubby and I have been using the term Jason math for over a decade, in reference to one of hubby’s good friend’s named Jason who justified buying multiples of anything when he thought he would save a fraction of the original amount. Lol. Never made sense to hubby so he would remind me not to do Jason math.

 

[monarch64]

Ever the woke generation, they also have tik toks on boy math, lol…so no sense in getting worked up over sexism.
An aside, hubby and I have been using the term Jason math for over a decade, in reference to one of hubby’s good friend’s named Jason who justified buying multiples of anything when he thought he would save a fraction of the original amount. Lol. Never made sense to hubby so he would remind me not to do Jason math.

THIS. As many of you know, I’m all about calling out sexism and misogyny and internalized misogyny. This is not that. It’s a superficial trend that’s making its rounds and will soon be disregarded.

it’s funny; I’ve been on this site forever and a day, and it has been discussed a million times—the difference or similarity between “girl math” and “boy math,” but no one ever wanted to talk about it until it showed up on Tiktok.

 

[Karl_K]

All I noticed is the huge window.....

 

[dk168]

Those mentalities do not apply to "girls" only, so I would demand justice for non-girls as it is clearly prejudice against non-girls.

DK

 

[missy]

I have not heard of the term but first impression is it's sexist and a way to hold girls back.
Girls are just as good (and bad) at math as boys.

 

[Mreader]

Ever the woke generation, they also have tik toks on boy math, lol…so no sense in getting worked up over sexism.
An aside, hubby and I have been using the term Jason math for over a decade, in reference to one of hubby’s good friend’s named Jason who justified buying multiples of anything when he thought he would save a fraction of the original amount. Lol. Never made sense to hubby so he would remind me not to do Jason math.

The Jason math example I can understand because you’re talking about a specific person’s behavior. The sweeping generalization of girl math I think is a bit “extra” and I suppose some of the sensitivity comes from the sexist view that girls are less talented in math and stem - something that has previously been pretty pervasive in our culture.

 

[Mreader]

THIS. As many of you know, I’m all about calling out sexism and misogyny and internalized misogyny. This is not that. It’s a superficial trend that’s making its rounds and will soon be disregarded.

it’s funny; I’ve been on this site forever and a day, and it has been discussed a million times—the difference or similarity between “girl math” and “boy math,” but no one ever wanted to talk about it until it showed up on Tiktok.

I haven’t seen it been discussed 1 million times but I am not on TikTok.

 

[Mreader]

All I noticed is the huge window.....

And yes, that window is really distracting lol!!!

 

[rainydaze]

I get the humor in it, and i get the offensiveness too....

If it were referred to as 'Jewelry Math', along with 'Car Math' and 'Designer Clothes Math' and 'Watch Math' and 'Home Renovations Math' and 'On-Sale Math' and 'Tools Math' and 'Shoes Math' .... you get the point. Funny minus the sexism.

 

[acezarra]

Following the girl math trend there has been talk of boy math and even black math.

‘Boy Math’ And ‘Girl Math’ Meme, Explained

Gender-specific math is trending again, as Girl Math is replaced by Boy Math.

www.forbes.com

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Not endorsing any of it, I have just seen all of it on my feed as of late.

 

[monarch64]

Here’s a screenshot of a tiktok. Notice the menu at the top, particularly the one underlined in red.

 

[musicloveranthony]

It's supposed to be used as a self-referential inside joke

 

[monarch64]

It's supposed to be used as a self-referential inside joke

It was for awhile, then, as I understand it, the boys had to get their two unsolicited cents in and (thought they) came up with “boy math.” It truly was all in good fun. Tiktok is a great learning experience.

 

[nala]

The Jason math example I can understand because you’re talking about a specific person’s behavior. The sweeping generalization of girl math I think is a bit “extra” and I suppose some of the sensitivity comes from the sexist view that girls are less talented in math and stem - something that has previously been pretty pervasive in our culture.

But it is trending for BOY MaTH TOO

 

[Matata]

it’s funny; I’ve been on this site forever and a day, and it has been discussed a million times—the difference or similarity between “girl math” and “boy math,” but no one ever wanted to talk about it until it showed up on Tiktok.

I hate math because I lack aptitude and break out in hives just reading or hearing the word. I'm all itchy right now.

 

[Lookinagain]

I've never heard of any of these math terms, but I don't look at TikTok or a lot of the sites some people follow.

 

[Slickk]

Welp, I’m a little insulted because I teach math and raised a CPA and … I’m a girl

I also don’t look at TikTok unless my dd sends me something I’d enjoy and then I view on the web.

 

[telephone89]

I get why it can come off sexist, and I wouldnt enjoy that either, except knowing the other side. Boy math is just as messed up, in fact AOC tweeted something funny about it the other day, making fun of all the old male politicians.

Personally I was more offended at whatever the F girl dinner was supposed to be.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/07/us/girl-math-boy-social-media-cec/index.html

"Unfortunately, the relatable axioms of girl math found their way onto parts of the internet that, well, didn’t get it. Groups of people started criticizing these innocent jokes, as if a single quip about the mysterious desire for free shipping indicates deep financial illiteracy or that the circuitous logic women admit to very occasionally using affects every serious decision of their lives."

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

never heard of it
especially as its maths not math

i do use that cost per wear thingy all the time
have used it for many years

i never look at tick tock -its goverment advice to stay away from it

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

More arithmetic I think. (think pirates of the Caribbean "the code"). Just silly.

cheers--Sharon

 

[Jambalaya]

Can I just stick up for girl math for a moment? Sometimes it makes sense! I have bought extra sometimes to get free shipping or a higher discount when I know the extra things are things I would have bought or needed at some point anyway.

Last year there were tons of boots on sale in my home town, really amazing discounts. I got sturdy leather winter boots for about $50 reduced from $240. Lo and behold, a year later, I just saw another pair for $50 reduced from $270, so although I don't need them for the foreseeable future, I am definitely going to need more winter boots in my lifetime. So I bought them. I probably won't need them for a few years, by which time the boots will be even more expensive.

I definitely buy things I don't need today when they're on really deep discount, because I will need them, but if you wait until you're in need, you're stuck with the price they are at that moment.

Another example: I collect American Girl dolls. I'm a Berry member, which means I get 7.5 per cent back in rewards. But they just had a 4x points promotion, which means I get 30 percent back. So I bought a ton of stuff that I was going to buy at some point anyway, and now I have enough rewards for a free doll. I can convert that rewards money to actual money by selling the free doll.

I always buy out of season too. I just bought some pink summer shoes from Clarks that were on sale for $30 from $70 for next summer.

Sometimes "girl math" is just smart shopping.

 

[Mreader]

Can I just stick up for girl math for a moment? Sometimes it makes sense! I have bought extra sometimes to get free shipping or a higher discount when I know the extra things are things I would have bought or needed at some point anyway.

Last year there were tons of boots on sale in my home town, really amazing discounts. I got sturdy leather winter boots for about $50 reduced from $240. Lo and behold, a year later, I just saw another pair for $50 reduced from $270, so although I don't need them for the foreseeable future, I am definitely going to need more winter boots in my lifetime. So I bought them. I probably won't need them for a few years, by which time the boots will be even more expensive.

I definitely buy things I don't need today when they're on really deep discount, because I will need them, but if you wait until you're in need, you're stuck with the price they are at that moment.

Another example: I collect American Girl dolls. I'm a Berry member, which means I get 7.5 per cent back in rewards. But they just had a 4x points promotion, which means I get 30 percent back. So I bought a ton of stuff that I was going to buy at some point anyway, and now I have enough rewards for a free doll. I can convert that rewards money to actual money by selling the free doll.

I always buy out of season too. I just bought some pink summer shoes from Clarks that were on sale for $30 from $70 for next summer.

Sometimes "girl math" is just smart shopping.

I do these things too but so does my husband; the gendering of it is the problem for me.

 

[lala646]

This one is actually cute. DOG MATH:

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[stracci2000]

Boy math is claiming you weigh 215 lbs.

 

[telephone89]

@lala646 I came here just to post the same thing! Hilarious! I love me a pibble too

 

[kenny]

How ignorant!
Math does not have genitalia.

But it can get very ... uhm ... hard.

 

[Lookinagain]

This one is actually cute. DOG MATH:

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So true in my house.....loved it.