VSCO Girls: How Social Media Drives Trends Among Teens

You may have heard that scrunchies the fabric wrapped elastic hair bands synonymous with early '90s fashion are making a comeback. NPR reported this week that scrunchies sold eight times faster than all hair accessories and styling products, according to the hair tie brand, Goody. 

But what you may not know is that part of what’s driving this trend is a teen subculture known as VSCO girls, named after the photo-editing app similar to Instagram.

Scrunchies are just one aspect of the VSCO girl aesthetic popular with Gen Z.

There’s a lot to unpack with this trend, but the real question is: Why is the media so obsessed with the VSCO girl fad, in particular?

We spoke with Ava Lobaugh, a sophomore at DePaul Prep in Chicago, and Rebecca Jennings, who's reported on the media's obsession with VSCO girls for Vox.