Starting as a TikTok meme for everybody to enjoy but turning into something bigger, VSCO girls thrive to this day.

VSCO girls can be easily spotted in Birkenstock sandals, shorts, and oversized shirts. They are usually middle schoolers and high school freshmen who always carry a hydro flask, a lot of scrunchies, a chapstick, a metal straw, a shell necklace, a polaroid camera, and a Kanken backpack with them. They are often heard yelling the phrase, “save the turtles,” which has gotten on the nerves of many.

“The whole point of being a VSCO girl… is just dumb in general because… you have to pay money for stupid possessions,” said an anonymous source.

They gained their label from VSCO, a photography and editing application, and gained popularity from TikTok, an application where users can create and share short videos, where certain users promoted, stereotyped and, “dragged” the VSCO girl aesthetic.

VSCO girls are inauthentic and troublesome, expressing their reaction to humor with “S-K-S-K-S-K,” and “and I oop.”

“VSCO girls think they own “S-K-S-K,” and “and I oop” but they stole it from stan Twitter,” said an anonymous source.

Typical VSCO girls are engrossed with their internet personas. They are usually popular Instagrammers who solely care about their online feeds and the engagement on their posts, adding on to their shallow personalities.

“They be like ‘saving the turtles’ but do they really care about the turtles, or is it the aesthetic they’re going for?” Wakeland sophomore Mackenzie Hurst said.

They believe that acting the way they do makes them quirky and different from other girls. Since there is an entire meme dedicated to this community and their “quirkiness,” it’s safe to say they are seen as basic and not relatable.

“Don’t like ‘em. Get rid of ‘em. Annoying. Everywhere… and their stupid little poopy shell necklaces… What’s the point of having a hydro flask?” Said an anonymous source, “do they put their phones in their… hydro flasks? And where do you even get hydro flasks? I don’t see Walmart selling them… you can [sense] the hate.”

Spotting a VSCO girl is easy as they can be found yelling at the top of their voices and purposefully dropping their hydro flasks.

“They put their hydro flasks on my desk and those take up so much space,” said an anonymous source. “The sound their hydro flasks make when they intentionally drop ‘em, it’s deafening… they’re very loud.”

Not only can they torture any sane person’s ears since they use such abrupt approaches to spread awareness, but they have also distorted our views on the freshman class as a whole.

“They are misrepresenting the freshman class… They are a very small portion of the freshman class,” CHS sophomore Lexi Carson said. “It’s a good laugh.”

VSCO girls have become the meme of the year but just like every other meme, they will eventually come to an end and nobody will be talking about them.

“Like any other trend, this trend is gonna die,” said an anonymous source. “[It’s] gonna… dissolve in a year or less than that. Consider Fortnite, fidget spinners or even the next iPhone.”

VSCO girls have done more for becoming popularity icons to our youth than embracing what they claim to be their purpose: bringing change.

“They’re probably just a false excuse for popularity,” said an anonymous source. “They’re not contributing to anything in society other than the fact that they make pretty dank memes.”

Even though their methods of showing concern for the environment are inappropriate and they are made fun of for being themselves, at least they are steering in the right direction ― towards making an effort.

“Metal straws are a great start to help save the planet since turtles can choke on plastic,” CHS junior Sofia Flores Reyes said.

They attempt to serve for a bigger purpose and expand into a big, giving community of environmentalists, for which they deserve appreciation, not bitterness.

“This is stupid because they are bashed for their interests and are labeled. So, what if they like giving out scrunchies? Why can’t we like things without being labeled?” Flores Reyes said, “if someone likes indie music, they are trend followers. If someone enjoys pop, they’re lame and have no taste. If someone likes rap, they are a clout chaser and on.”

Even though these VSCO girls are seen as spontaneous individuals who desire popularity, they should be acknowledged for what they have provided us with — a meme we all “S-K-S-K”ed at this summer, and a new way to look at how young adults can try contributing to society.