The 'girlfriend effect' is the new way we treat men like little boys.

If you’ve opened up TikTok at any point within the last two weeks, then you would have likely come across the “girlfriend effect” — a trend which shows how men seem to upgrade their style after entering a relationship.

Over hundreds of videos of women showing off their boyfriend/husband’s before and after transformations have been shared across the platform, with one common theme seen throughout: Men dress better thanks to their female partners. 

Watch: Relationship red flags. Post continues below.

While the trend is lighthearted and meant to be a bit of fun, it did make us raise the question: Is this just another thing women need to help men with?

According to a US-based study, women in heterosexual relationships are spending roughly 14.2 hours on household chores per week, compared to men who spend approximately four hours. But we didn’t need to tell you that, because chances are, either you or a woman you know is burnt out from doing it all.

@sandstedtloka I’m going to put stylist + photographer on my cover letter 😏😂 #girlfriendeffect ♬ greedy tate mcrae unreleased - babytatie1

Women are expected to carry a disproportionately large amount of mental and physical load, which includes the burden of remembering the minute details, schedules and logistics of family life. From buying gifts to booking appointments, as a society we’ve become accustomed to women taking care of everyone’s needs, but, who is focusing on what she wants?

Similarly, women are also sharing the “boyfriend effect”, showing what they looked like before and after their relationship. Except this time, the results show women looking fresh-faced and put together in the before, and more dishevelled in the after.

@sgc.11 I need to grab my Dyson and Charlotte Tilbury more often 😂🤫#itsajoke #boyfriendeffect ♬ original sound - Aileenchristineee

For many, this change in style reflects comfortability and the ability to let their guard down, but for some, it’s a stark reality check, serving as a reminder that they’ve forgotten to prioritise themself in order to keep someone else happy.

Of course it’s important to note that not every relationship is this way, and there are plenty of instances where the labour is divided fairly amongst both the man and woman, but the point of this article is to question if men are being treated like children rather than fully fledged adults.

Without their girlfriends/wives, would these men be able to build an outfit that’s presentable and appropriate? Is this another task to add to a woman’s never-ending to-do list? 

When we discuss gender inequality, we envision the workforce — a place where men’s attitudes towards women are slowly changing. A woman pursuing a career is now a widely accepted concept, and there are far more opportunities to climb the corporate ladder compared to previous years. 

But in their personal lives, women are still doing roughly the same amount of household work as the women before them — all while working full time.

For men, their lives seem to get easier after entering a relationship, however, for a woman, her workload doubles.

And yes, there are certain chores that are mostly reserved for men, such as cleaning the car or yard work. However, these are weekly tasks, as opposed to women who are washing the dishes multiple times a day.

So yes, the girlfriend effect may be a silly little trend on TikTok that will most likely blow over and be replaced by something else, but it signifies something a lot deeper. 

Thanks to women, men are dressing a lot better. Thanks to women, their day-to-day lifestyle has improved tenfold. And while relationships aren’t always going to be 50/50, it’s time for men (and everyone as a society) to become more egalitarian with responsibilities.

Feature image: TikTok @sandstedtloka

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