Gaslighting seems to be the new buzzword of modern social culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Merriam-Webster defines gaslighting as a psychological manipulation that causes a person to question the validity of their own thoughts, memories or perception of reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have you had a boyfriend who told you that you\u2019re making up that time he messaged another woman on Instagram? If so, you\u2019ve probably been gaslit, babe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the New York Times, the term \u201cgaslighting\u201d comes from the 1944 film \u201cGaslight,\u201d in which a man tries to convince his wife that she is mentally ill so he can steal from her. What a charmer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first colloquial use of the term gaslight was in New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd\u2019s 1995 piece, \u201cThe Gaslight Strategy.\u201d Dowd wrote about the Clinton administration\u2019s political strategy of purposefully pushing the speaker of the house into making irrational outbursts that would damage his credibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Believe it or not, the term grew in the mainstream media in 2016 during Donald Trump\u2019s presidential campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Various media outlets and social media users used the term to describe Trump\u2019s incessant denial of saying or doing things that he very clearly HAD said or did. This notion was pointed out in Teen Vogue\u2019s appropriately-titled article, \u201cDonald Trump is Gaslighting America\u201d by Lauren Duca. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Google Trends, interest in gaslighting as a search term has risen steadily since it first started to grow at the end of 2016 following the publication of the Teen Vogue article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The concept of gaslighting has become increasingly popular as a topic on social media in the past few years. In many instances as part of the 2021 Tumblr-originating phrase \u201cgaslight, gatekeep, girlboss,\u201d the Gen Z parody of the suburban mom catchphrase \u201clive, laugh, love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gaslighting has also made its way into pop culture, with one well-known example being in season 17 of \u201cThe Bachelorette.\u201d Season 17 Bachelorette Katie Thurston accused contestant Greg Grippo of gaslighting her during their final conversation before he abruptly exited the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During that conversation, Grippo told Thurston that she wasn\u2019t doing enough to reciprocate his affection after he told her that he loved her. Fans of the show vehemently argued Grippo\u2019s claim on social media, saying that Thurston had chosen him for several of the special dates on the show and that he was her clear favorite right up until his departure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Immediately following the episode, fans dubbed Grippo \u201cGaslighting Greg\u201d on Twitter and celebrated Thurston for calling him out for his manipulative behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the music side of things, gaslighting was an identifiable feature of Taylor Swift\u2019s \u201cAll Too Well: The Short Film\u201d that accompanied the release of the 10-miniute version of the song in November 2021. About 3.5 minutes into the film, the music fades out for a conversation between the two main characters, known only as Her and Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her accuses Him of ignoring her during a dinner with his friends and of dropping her hand when she tried to hold his hand. Him says that he doesn\u2019t even remember the moment she\u2019s talking about and that she\u2019s acting crazy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fans of the film point to a specific exchange during this argument as a clear example of gaslighting. \u201cYou\u2019re making me feel fucking stupid,\u201d Her said. Him replied, \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019m making you feel that way, I think you\u2019re making yourself feel that way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The argument portrayed in the film sparked heated discussion on social media, as well as a trend of women challenging their male friends to write down all the red-flags and instances of gaslighting they notice in the short film. Quite a creative game night idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether or not every viral instance of gaslighting is truly gaslighting, the word has become a popular social media catch-all term for any kind of psychological or emotional manipulation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Be safe out there and try to keep your distance from gaslighters, even if they do seem to be lurking around every corner of Twitter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"