The Rapid Rise Of E-Boy & E-Girl Culture

“...categories of hip children whose defining qualities are that they're hot and online.”—Rebecca Jennings on e-boys & e-girls, Vox

There’s certainly a component of truth to Rebecca Jennings’ statement—but there are tons more to the present subcultural movement than meets the attention.

Largely from the Gen Z cohort, e-girls and e-boys are gaming enthusiasts that have shunned the polished Instagram influencer, sporting a much more edgy, grunge-influenced aesthetic.

The e-boy and a-girl revolution is here and as more young digital native gamers join the ranks, it’s likely that the movement will go from strength to strength because the months roll on.

Now, you won’t often see your average e-person connecting with their peers or sharing their stories on the likes of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (perhaps not even Snapchat).

No, e-boys and e-girls use a replacement social outlet—the video-based platform TikTok.

Let’s determine more.

TikTok: The Timely Social Media Explosion

In a time where consumers enjoy more video-based content than ever, platforms like TikTok became the new virtual playgrounds for young digital natives—especially e-boys and e-girls.

For e-boys and e-girls, TikTok may be a creative outlet brimming with opportunities to attach with others within the community while expressing oneself in any way, shape or form.

While traditional social media influencers try to flood the platform during a bid to team with brands looking to appeal to a young audience, it seems that e-boys and girls are well and truly within the driver’s seat, putting two digital fingers up to the person.

To date, TikTok has been installed on mobile devices within the ballpark of 800 million times. Plus, videos made on the platform earn 17 billion average views monthly. As TikTok becomes more powerful, the e-boy and e-girl revolution seem destined to continue its subcultural domination.

We’re living during a bold new age—the age of the e-people. That said, let’s determine a touch more about them.

What are E-boys & E-girls

A new wave of mainstream counterculture, e-girl, and boys are often likened to a 2.0 version of the Tumblr Kids of the first millennium.

These e-teens or e-people exist on the planet Wide Web (as you'll well have guessed by now), and are well-versed within the latest video games, tech, and social platforms. And, their primary goal? To push the envelope with their views, video content, and wild aesthetics.

Standing against the polished, airbrushed, “idyllic” social media influencers of recent years, this disruptive e-movement has spawned an eclectic look that would almost be described as ‘cyber-grunge’ in its simplest form.

One of the foremost striking things about e-boys and e-girls is that while all of them share a glance (as it were), they use their creative intuition to precise their individuality or place their own stamp on their virtual ensembles. No two e-girls or e-boys are quite an equivalent in their approach or appearance—the main feature of any powerful sub or counterculture.

But, while the e-teens do sport individual looks, there are key elements that form the foundations of the aesthetic (in case you’re looking to hitch the ranks):

Dyed hair

Often, hair is dyed between two colors, half-and-half. Sometimes more, an unmistakable feature of the e-teen aesthetic.

Heavy-set eyeliner

E-Teens typically sport dark, thick, and sometimes winged eyeliner. Sometimes, eyeliner is additionally applied slightly below each eye to make tiny shapes or icons.

Jewelry

The septum or facial piercings, also as O-ring collars, chain necklaces, and outlandish bracelets, also are big within the e-scene.

Sad, melancholic music

The likes of Billie Eilish or Twenty One Pilots (modern-day versions of gothic types?) are usually on the musical menu for e-boys and e-girls, something that shows in their general presentation.

What You Need to Know about E-boy & E-girl Culture

Now that you’re well versed with TikTok and what it means to be an e-boy or e-girl, let’s dig a touch deeper by uncovering a couple of facts about the culture itself:


The term 'e-girl' began as a derogatory term, employed by males to objectify women who believed were merely trying to find male attention online. As a counterculture, e-boys, and e-girls have worked to get rid of this stigma, taking ownership or the terms and reworking it into something positive.


In regard to e-boys and e-girls, BuzzFeed wrote: "the e-girl and therefore the e-boy are the anti-influencers. Scene girls and emo girls were a counter to the preppy, Juicy Couture look of the age (see: Paris Hilton) the way e-girls could also be a counter to the polished, Facetuned Instagram influencer.

"My generation's apathy. I'm disgusted with it. I'm disgusted with my very own apathy too, for being spineless and not always standing up against racism, sexism and every one those other -isms the counterculture has been whining about for years."—Kurt Cobain

While many dismiss e-boys and e-girls as merely attractive and really alternative online posers, it seems that there are tons more to the present movement than meets the attention.

Could the e-boy and e-girl movement serve to face up against the world’s darker forces, shouting and screaming in waves of digital defiance? Could these forward-thinking Gen Zers altogether their hair dyed, make-up clad, and visually provocative glory make a true difference—becoming truth disruptive counterculture of the hyper-connected age?


Only time will tell needless to say. But, whatever happens, or however long e-boy or e-girl culture endures, these youngsters will make some quite historical impact—and they’ll look pretty darn unmissable while they’re doing it!