Teenage YouTubers have recently been posting videos with titles like “Becoming The Ultimate VSCO Girl” and “the basic VSCO girl transformation,” in which they act like VSCO girls for a day and document the process. One popular video format includes a sound clip of someone saying “VSCO girl check” before showing off related items. Many TikTok videos about VSCO girls show collections of items that the quintessential VSCO girl would possess. On TikTok, the hashtag #VSCOgirl has been viewed over 118 million times. Notably, most of the characteristics of VSCO girls are not unique to this one archetype and are considered to be trendy and popular even if the term is not applied or they do not precisely fit the mold. Social media posts about VSCO lifestyles indicate that there is a highly-specific aesthetic required to be a VSCO girl, but it’s not entirely clear who decides what that is and how it will change over time. Like the basic b**ch stereotype, this term is largely (although not exclusively) used to describe white teenage girls. The relatively niche collection of products that make up this trend makes it only accessible to those who can afford it.
Typically, the term is associated with one or more of the following products/things: “VSCO” can be used as an adjective, usually to describe someone or something that would likely be seen on the app. VSCO girls are often characterized by how they consume and what they post on social media, both on VSCO itself and on other platforms. Although it is not the same as eGirl, basic b**ch, or soft girl, there is some overlap between the looks and behaviors associated with these terms. Their style is considered to be both trendy and basic.
Since its rise in popularity, the VSCO aesthetics have rolled over into other platforms. VSCO gained prominence with its in-app suite of features that allow users to edit with preset filters and tools. VSCO girls are defined by how they style their lives to be trendy and match a certain aesthetic, which they then post about on social media. VSCO is a family of aesthetics named in reference to a photography app called VSCO (formerly known as VSCO Cam), created by Joel Flory and Greg Lutze in 2011.
It’s basically a sound of existence.Check out our How To Be A VSCO Girl Guide for more info on how to join the trend. It can also convey embarrassment or shock. On Twitter, it seems to have a broader application, used to open and end sentences, or in a more self-reflective or congratulatory way. The sksksk sound has also been used in ASMR videos as far back as 2013.Īs the VSCO girl trend started getting more attention this summer, many pointed back to Black and LGBTQ Twitter circles, as well as Stan Twitter (a community devoted to more to a specific fandom), as the origins. In its heyday, teens that used to frequent Tumblr to share sad song lyrics while wearing ripped, denim cutoff shorts, plaid shirts, and always carrying their. BuzzFeed News broke down the evolution from a written reaction often meant to express excitement or amusement, which itself evolved from where the S and K sit on on the keypad or computer-a byproduct of the keyboard smash reaction. While “And I oop” is a more recent meme that’s been co-opted, sksksk is an interesting evolution in internet micro-speak and subcultures. You can hear it in this widely circulated VSCO girl parody (?), as well as the phrase, “ And I oop.” They’re often used in tandem, at least in this iteration.
You might be able to identify a VSCO girl in your midst, but do you know the sound?