It’s easy to look at social media and daydream about being “that girl” — the one with the trendiest clothes, the silkiest hair, the smoothest skin and the je ne sais quoi of a true It girl. Social media makes us all want to be It girls — and, as this recent TikTok shows, it encourages us to look up to other girls who seem to fit into that category. But Gomez lived through her own It girl era — and, guess what, it didn’t make her happy.
Gomez’s life with her boyfriend, music producer Benny Blanco, is seemingly much more low-key. The pair haven’t made a single red carpet appearance together — however, they have shared countless snaps on Instagram showing them cuddling on the sofa in pyjamas or simply chilling in Gomez’s garden.
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Selena Gomez no longer looks the part of the prototypical It girl — and she’s happier. Who could’ve guessed!?
Allen Berezovsky
Gomez has been vocal about the dangers of building a life around external validation (ie, craving It girl status) for years. In fact, in 2018, she announced that she was stepping back from Instagram. An assistant took over her accounts. Although Gomez is back on Instagram (and, evidently, TikTok) she tries to keep a healthy distance.
“It’s a cliché, but girls are mean,” she told Time earlier this year. “It’s a very weird competition, being in the cool girls area — and then I’m just kind of like, there. I don’t know where I’m meant to belong.”
She added, “I love having levelheaded people around that couldn’t give two fucks about what I do.”
In other words, Gomez is done being valued purely for her ability to play the role of It girl, actually. And honestly, we would all do well to take some inspiration from her.