Here’s why the new ‘girl math’ trend just doesn’t add up

The new splurge now, justify the cost later craze has taken social media by storm. Good, harmless fun? Not by my calculations, says mathematician Kit Yates

To me, ‘girl math’ feels a bit more troubling than the previous trends (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

If you want to get a lifestyle craze trending on social media, then you could do worse than stick the word “girl” in its name.

That’s how we got “hot girl walk” – a trend promoting both the mental and physical health benefits of walking – and “lazy girl job” – a phenomenon extolling the virtues of improving your work life balance. There’s also “girl dinner”, which sent the internet into a frenzy over its simple prescription of low-effort snack-based dining, and now the newest addition to the crowd: “girl math”.

Many of the “girl” trends have had their share of criticism, from accusations that lazy girl job promotes low career aspirations to suggestions that girl dinner might encourage unhealthy dietary choices.