At the corner of Internet and interesting

Each week in this newsletter, we take a look at a term or idea that's essential to understanding the Internet in 2019. Think of it as a running glossary for life online. This week's newsletter was written by Terry Nguyen, the features intern. Have an idea for a term you'd like us to tackle? Email Abby at abigail.ohlheiser@washpost.com.

This week...

E-girls and e-boys

"E-girls" and "e-boys" are like the 2019 Internet's version of the goth scene kids of the early 2000s.

They're counterculture. They have grunge-y fashion taste. They wear thick eye makeup. Most distinctively, they make TikTok videos.

They're the latest type of cool kid to reign on the Internet. They've become so recognizable that they've spawned a subgenre of satirical TikTok videos dedicated to mimicking and mocking their aesthetic. Typically, these videos contain hashtags such as #eboy, #egirl or #egirlfactory.

Real "e-kids" don't label themselves, although most are acutely aware of how they are perceived online. Most say they dress in that style daily, that it's not an act for the TikTok views. But they're easy to mock because their styles and quirks seem so performatively edgy: They accessorize with chains, draw on tiny face tattoos, have multiple piercings and wear bright blush.

That aesthetic has helped turn some e-boys and e-girls into popular influencers. But e-girls have spoken out about harassment they've faced online from people who say they became famous because of their looks — a critique they say is hypocritical and sexist. Some e-girls have worried about their safety since the body of 17-year-old Bianca Devin, who was part of the e-girl subculture, appeared suddenly on Instagram earlier this month. (Police arrested a man who they believe was romantically involved with Devin, and charged him with murder.)

The term "e-girl" once carried a negative connotation in gamer circles, and arguably still does. (One Urban Dictionary definition refers to e-girls as "internet sluts.") But since going mainstream, the definition has become a social title. "It's a girl who posts stuff on the internet and looks alternative and edgy in their own way," an e-girl told Vice. "I like to think of it as the 2019 version of a scene girl on the internet."

-- Terry

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