USD students’ take on ‘Get Ready with Me’ videos

Nyla Harris / Asst. A&C Editor

Back to school means an overflow of exciting new habits, trends and ideas for both returning and first-year USD students. For many, this thrilling transition of going back to campus includes the experience of getting ready for an eventful new chapter.

A social media hashtag and trend continuously rolls around and is popular with college students during this period of having fresh starts: #GRWM. This concept is a shared experience for many students involved in social media consumption and creation.

For those unaware of what a “Get ready with me” or “GRWM” entails, it is more or less what it sounds like: a social media video showing the process of someone getting ready for an event or activity. Currently, these videos are popular across platforms like YouTube and TikTok, in which content creators or vloggers upload pieces of their daily routine and generally document the act of getting ready to go out for the day.

Although they are currently gaining immense popularity, GRWM videos are not a new concept. Longer GRWM videos, featuring hair, makeup and/or styling tutorials, were popular on YouTube in the early 2000s. Years ago, publishers like Vogue jumped on the bandwagon, bringing popular celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Emily Ratajkowski into the hashtag’s interaction.

However, it is specifically TikTok that landed GRWM videos on many individuals’ radars through “For You” pages during 2020 and beyond, providing a closer look at people’s style choices, routines and moves before a big day such as the first day back at university. To date, #GRWM has accumulated over 60 million views on TikTok (Allaire, 2023).

Scrolling through GRWM videos, many online users said they found them to be equal parts educational, inspirational and comforting.

USD senior Anisha Kumar had a similar response in how she felt about the content.

“This is due to the content not only influencing students to try out new looks, but also acting as a comfort of knowing the interconnected community of many students around the world, experiencing mutual feelings about what going back to school/university means for them,” Kumar said.

USD senior Naza Jaff described her enjoyment from GRWM videos, stemming from the personal connection between the creator and viewer.

“It feels like you’re on FaceTime with someone; they’re telling you a story while getting ready for their day,” Jaff said. 

She further cited this to be a shared experience among her peers as well. “When I have time to go on TikTok, my For You page will show “GRWM” videos at least once a week, and it is always fun content to watch.”

Popular, young influencers such as Alix Earle, Monet Michelle, Denzel Dion, etc. have tried to engage with their audiences, making them feel as though their viewers are friends, classmates, colleagues and just people they know and trust.

Dr. Rachel Larrain Montoni, a psychologist who specializes in women’s mental health, asserted that the connection formed between viewer and creator during GRWM videos are particularly strong, due to the videos usually being intimate and unvarnished. Essentially, seeing another student be vulnerable in their PJs, doing their skincare routine and getting ready for class helps to make the audience feel more like a close friend with whom they can share the journey of getting ready with.

Students are receiving a less- filtered glimpse into people’s lives as they are getting ready for school. It creates a circle of conversation for new fashion trends, skincare routines, makeup hacks and even daily mantras that have been circling around the community of young college students, including those at USD.