Women are constantly reminded that mathematics is not for them. Sometimes it’s subconscious: as when a young girl encounters a sea of male faces in a STEM class. But it’s usually quite clear, as Latest TikTok viral trends: “Math girl““Mathematics for Girls” in its translation.
The stereotype is much more ingrained than we think. When I was exposed to #girlmath videos, I realized that I didn’t consider myself “good” at math.
Although I did not study a STEM career, I got very good grades in mathematics in high school. I studied hard to become a qualified wealth advisor, both in the UK and the US – something that was unheard of in my company at the time. But still, I wasn’t good at math.
Even after I obtained all those certificates that confirmed my financial and mathematical knowledge, when one of my friends saw my trading app he asked me: “Does your friend choose these investments for you?”
My friend was an engineer, yes, but he had no financial qualifications. I’m sure the comment had no bad intentions, but it shook me inside and reawakened the stereotype. Come on what? Even when women are qualified and experienced with numbers, TikTok is telling its audience that girls don’t have these skills.
What is this Math girlMaths for girls?
This trend makes fun of bad personal finance habits, dubbing it the “math girl” (Math girl).
TikTok creators explain to their audience that #girlmath This means that the purchase is free if you pay for it with money that you do not remember havingNot spending €50 on some shorts you wanted to buy is basically the same as earning €50, and what’s even more worrying is that the purchase appears as if it was free when made via your credit card.
According to the Evening Standard, the trend came from a clip of New Zealand radio station FVHZM presenters that went viral on TikTok. The video was an excerpt from the program in which listeners call in to justify large purchases with the “math girl” excuse.
The TikTok video led to a wave of videos with responses from other women talking about how to justify expenses that could be considered “impractical,” so to speak.
Why is mathematics among girls considered a negative trend?
Although it may seem informal, the hashtag is playing with The negative stereotype that women are bad at mathematics.
The UK’s Institute for Fiscal Studies found in 2018 that more girls than boys achieved top grades, but in mathematics they accounted for 39% of results and 22% of results in physics.
The imbalance is evident in the number of women studying mathematics in higher education. Data released by UCAS (UK Universal Admissions Service) shows that non-male students – participants who identify as female or non-binary – make up just 31% of mathematics students at UK universities.
“When you ask students who are good at math in a high school class to raise their hands, they don’t do it. But, if you get a 10, why don’t they raise their hands? Because he sees himself as worse in this matter. This greatly limits its potential.“, says Marta Pérez Durao, President of the Foundation Inspiring girlsin a financial club show for teens.
But historically, women have made history in mathematics. Caroline Criado Perez, author Invisible women, highlights the case of Dainan Tamina, a mathematician who in 1997 solved a complex problem that had eluded mathematicians for centuries. Shakuntala Devi holds the world record for performing the ‘Fastest Human Arithmetic Operation’.
That’s by saying, We have evidence of female mathematicians who have solved some of the world’s biggest problemsbut #girlmath perpetuates the belief that they are not good at math.
#Girlmath doubles down on gender parity in overspending
The #girlmath trend focuses on “Feminine” spending habits are wasteful – Another fairly common stereotype about women and money management.
Report from guardian She revealed that 65% of financial articles targeting women described them as “extravagant” and tried to teach them how to curb their uncontrollable spending tendencies. These contents usually revolve around children’s pictures of piggy banks or simple techniques for stretching one’s personal budget further and further.
The stereotype of women as having little knowledge of mathematics has a direct relationship to their unwillingness to take care of their finances. Study published in 2021 by Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization She suggests that the stereotype that women are less financially literate increases their anxiety about money.
Another study conducted by Fidelity in 2021 among 2,400 adults with an annual income of 50,000 euros or more found that only a third of women were confident in their ability to invest. Although Fidelity’s analysis based on 10 years of activity of 5 million of its clients showed that women actually outnumber men (slightly).
Then he came Boy mathematics (Boys Mathematics)
In response to #girlmath, The #boymath trend also went viral (Boys mathematics).
This trend seems to balance the scales of financial illiteracy. “Boy mathematics“It was defined by part of Elon Musk, who renamed it X.
It is worth noting that boys’ mathematics fad appears to explain irrational male behavior in a more general sense, whereas girls’ mathematics is specifically financial. When the negative focus of an attitude is directed towards men, Avoid confusing men with bad financial habits.
Financial education for women is an important issue
The women’s math trend highlights women’s financial and investment literacy. Although it perpetuates negative stereotypes, it opens the door to discussion about gender and financial well-being.
“We must take a further step in financial training so that they can develop their potential, Recovery Self-confidence and getting the references they need“Pérez Durao insists. In the Inspiring Girls course, for example, the classes are taught by women who specialize in the field and have a long history in the financial sector.
“It’s a way to cover two open fronts: imparting knowledge and having the same person teaching that content be an authority for them.” The other problem the organization seeks to solve is precisely the labels and stereotypes that have positioned the financial sector as a man’s world – which are then presented as such on the big screen.
Why do women give up their financial responsibility to men? Why do they save less on average?
Most of these discussions boil down to the gender pay gap and systemic misogyny. So even though TikTok trends love it #girlmath may seem fun and temporary, but the stereotypes and systems that reproduce it are not..
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