Why ‘Lucky Girl Syndrome’ is TikTok’s newest toxic manifestation trend

There is a wider issue on the manifestation side of TikTok, with ‘Lucky Girls’ shining a light on cruel optimism through their “everything just works out for me” mantras.

There is a newcomer to the manifestation side of TikTok called ‘Lucky Girl Syndrome’: a form of affirmations with no solid body of results, that could subsequently prove toxic for users. To be a ‘Lucky Girl’ requires a set of positive, forward-thinking mantras to sculpt everyday events to your favour. In one video, two girls explain their experience with ‘Lucky Girl Syndrome’ affirmations, which they try after seeing a clip of a girl who said “I don’t know why but everything just works out for me. The universe always makes things work out for me.” Using the same mantra, they manifest the best bedrooms in their new flat, and due to their newfound ‘Lucky Girl’ status, ended up securing them.

If you’ve been on TikTok this new year, you will notice that amongst various January resolutions, the manifestation community has gained recent popularity on the “For You” page. It isn’t a new premise on TikTok, as positive thinking and displays of optimistic spirituality have spread far and wide over the platform, in the guise of 30-second reiki and sound healing clips or aura cleansing videos. However, this branch of manifestation and positive thinking feels more like a comfort to those already in a privileged position, as it then goes on to suppress users who may not have the same set of experiences or liberties.

It’s all relatively hearsay, and results in a set of videos describing why the universe is looking out for them and them alone. What isn’t discussed is the latter effects of this form of manifestation, which quite frankly, feels like gloating. The community of ‘Lucky Girls’ are less based on empathy and more on, what they admittedly call, “delusion”. Whilst positive thinking should not be discouraged, claiming good things happen because you just wished it does not take into account others, and their position of privilege in life. 

The language surrounding the trend is the first point of fault. It’s an example of victim blaming, meaning the language implies that results (positive or negative) are partially due to a person’s own behaviours. It’s basically a short-term plaster for issues, which if there is a short-term issue, is completely fine. But to bracket every life circumstance under the title of “luck” is simply reinforced by their privilege. Many ‘Lucky Girl’ preachers tend to be white, straight, cis-gendered, and also have pretty privilege, which means that much of their “positive” results were to be expected. 

“POV you and your friends won £2000 in a casino and went to Cartier to buy your first friendship bracelet on a random Thursday,” says one “Lucky Girl”, who has gained 38.7k followers through her worldwide travelling and self-care lifestyle content. Another, of the same “clean girl” lifestyle influence, states “POV you chose a soft life”, followed by the hashtag “Lucky Girl Syndrome”. “How do I afford a soft life”, reads one of the comments. This, of course, leads to the question of whether marginalised communities are affected in the same way, as straight white women continue to dominate this trend and promote their lifestyle content. Is this ‘luck’ down to self-belief or it is capped at some point due to social standing?

Ultimately, the ‘Lucky Girl Syndrome’ trend is limited by one’s place in society, much like many of the other spirituality trends on TikTok. In the long term, these claims can just make people feel worse, without considering a wider demographic of different privileges and backgrounds. Can you take it as a novelty? For a short time, yes. But for those who see no results, issues with the trend start to arise. Perhaps there are layers to being a “Lucky Girl” that isn’t revealed in the initial videos, or it’s simply clickbait. Either way, changing thought patterns and predisposed beliefs is a journey unique to each individual and shouldn’t be reduced to a case of ‘luck’. 

Writer
Ella Chadwick
Banner Image Credit
Pexels