If you buy concert tickets six months in advance, by the time the night of the show actually arrives, the concert is completely free. The money is already gone; you basically didn’t pay for it. 


The phrase “girl math” has become a familiar internet joke, usually used to describe deliberately questionable calculations that justify spending money. If something was bought with cash, it “doesn’t count.” If something was on sale, buying it means you saved money. If you use something often enough, it becomes “free.” The joke is supposed to be ridiculous, and often, it is authentically funny. But there is one part of the phrase that deserves more attention: why does this have to be called “girl” math? The idea of girl math spread via social media through influencers, who often cater to young adult audiences. What originally emerged as a harmless joke became a reaffirmation of the misogynistic idea that women aren’t capable of excelling at mathematics or finances.  


The problem with girl math is not that people make jokes about spending money. Everyone has made a questionable purchase or convinced themselves that a sale was actually an act of financial responsibility. The problem is that the joke repeatedly connects women with irrational spending, poor financial reasoning, and a lack of intelligence. 


To understand girl math’s appeal, it is important to note that the trend was originally intended to be humorous. People who use the phrase are often making fun of themselves, exaggerating the way they “justify” purchases. Many of the people participating in the trend are girls and women themselves. However, the fact that women participate in the joke does not automatically make it harmless. Instead, it raises the question of why women have become so comfortable making their own intelligence the punchline.


The fact that something is a joke does not mean the words we use are meaningless. The humor behind girl math depends partly on the assumption that this kind of irrational financial thinking is particularly feminine. Natalie Krishtul ’29 pointed out that the trend creates stereotypes that women are unintelligent, uneducated, and can even feed the  idea that math is something “for boys.” This itself is concerning, because it  substantiates an  outdated assumption that girls are naturally less capable in subjects requiring logic and mathematical reasoning.


“Girl math” was not the catalyst for this rhetoric. The modern-day trope about women prior to girl math, which has been spread throughout the media, is the idea that women are addicted to spending, and in turn, don’t know or don’t care about finances. Movies like “Confessions of a Shopaholic” (2008) framed the idea of consumption as excessive and compulsive. This movie focused on purchases of stereotypical “girly” items, thus painting the picture that shopaholicism is a particular female failing. 


At PHS, social media trends do not exist separately from school. Students bring the jokes, phrases, and assumptions they see online into classrooms, hallways, and conversations with their friends. PHS students also spend years absorbing subtle and overt messages that certain subjects are associated with certain types of people. Math, science, writing, and other academic subjects can all become wrapped up in assumptions about who is naturally good at what.


Success in math and physics is mostly associated with men. One article from the American Physical Society reports that, in comparison to men, studies show that women perceive that their accomplishments are overlooked. Additionally, fewer women in math and physics are recognized for their achievements. One historical woman, Hypatia, despite being one of the most famous female mathematicians of all time, even being featured in the great School of Athens, is not typically known by students today. Many other female mathematicians and physicians have been overlooked for their achievements, which demonstrates a natural bias toward male accomplishments. The idea that men are better at math has caused many of women’s achievements to be undermined, which allows the ideas that women are worse at math and finances to thrive. This is facilitated through the trend of “girl math.” 


That does not mean PHS students must stop joking about money. It does not mean that saying “girl math” makes someone a bad person. And it certainly does not mean that everyone who uses the phrase is intentionally contributing to sexism. The issue is not whether an individual intends to offend someone, but whether the language they use reinforces harmful assumptions. When a joke repeatedly portrays women as irrational or financially incompetent, its widespread acceptance deserves criticism, regardless of the intention behind it.


“Girl math” is funny because it exaggerates something many people can relate to: the ability to convince yourself that a purchase was more reasonable than it really was. But that joke does not have to depend on the idea that irrationality is inherently feminine. The concept of women being careless and ignorant with their finances isn’t new. “Girl math” simply crossed the misogynistic threshold into the world of everyday teens.

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