Snail Girl Era

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About

Snail Girl Era or Snail Girl is a slang term used to describe a period of time when a woman slows down, takes her time and prioritizes her happiness and self-care over participating in hustle culture and overworking themselves. The snail girl era is often described as the opposite of the girlboss era and is similar to terms like quiet quitting and lazy girl jobs. The term was notably coined by Hello Sisi founder Sienna Ludbey.

Origin

On July 14th, 2023, Instagram^[1] user beciorpin posted a cartoon of a snail girl, writing, "Wise girl @hellosisi_ told me this week Girl Boss is dead, & Snail Girl era has began : go slow / think long / take your time / relax. It will still get done," garnering over 1,600 likes in three months (shown below).

On September 7th, the Australian publication Fashion Journal^[2] published an article by Sienna Ludbey titled, "'Snail girl era': Why I’m slowing down and choosing to be happy rather than busy." The article is written by the founder of the Hello Sisi brand, who claims she texted a friend, "Hot take for the week, my inner girl boss is dead and my ‘snail girl’ era has begun." She describes a snail girl as someone who, "goes slow, retreats when she needs and follows the path at her own pace."

Snail girl, for me, is not about a holiday or stopping work completely. I love what I do and the amazing community that has supported my brand. It’s just about taking that time to remember to not be as hard on myself, to have a work-life balance and to stop comparing my journey to others […] you can incorporate a little snail girl into your life without stopping the cash flow. Instead, think of it as a time to put yourself first, set personal and professional boundaries and protect your peace.

Spread

On September 10th, 2023, TikToker^[3] @fashionjournalmagazine posted a video advertising the article, garnering over 33,000 views in a month (shown below, left). On October 1st, Head Topics^[4] published an article about the snail girl trend, followed by the New York Post^[5] on October 2nd. On October 4th, Fortune^[6] reported on the trend, followed by Business Insider^[7] on October 5th.

On October 10th, TIkToker^[8] @lifeandworkbutbetter posted a video about the trend, garnering over 53,000 views in six days (shown below, right). On October 16th, Daily Mail^[9] reported on the term.

@fashionjournalmagazine The era of the snail girl is here!! 🐌 FJ Branded Content and Features Editor @Maggie Zhou chats through the Founder of @Hello Sisi Gift Shop’s article on slowing down and rejecting hustle culture 🩵 #fashionindustry #productivity #hustleculture #capitalism #fashionjournalmagazine ♬ original sound – Fashion Journal Magazine

@lifeandworkbutbetter Girl boss is out and snail girl is in! Time to take your pto, take your sick days, use all your breaks you can get and give yourself the work life balance that your boss isn't going to give you. #worklofebalance #worklifebalancetips #takingpto #timeoffrequest #timeoffwork #sickdaysbelike #takingasickday #snailgirl #girlbossseries #girlbossera #snailgirlera #snailgirlatwork ♬ original sound – Spicy Millenial Work + Life

Various Examples

@omnihr Snail girl era is here ladies and gentlemen 🐌 . . . . #snailgirl #snailgirlera #hustleculture #hustlecultureistoxic #girlboss #lazygirljobs #lazygirljob ♬ original sound – omnihr