Here’s the news from winter break: Scrunchies have become a desired item for junior-high schoolboys.
Today’s tween girls are offering their scrunchies — the fabric-poofed hair elastics last popular in the 1980s — to their crushes. If accepted, the boy will wear it around his wrist until he finds a new scrunchie — er, crush.
If he really likes the girl, he can offer his hoodie in return.
“Well, now I know why my 13-year-old has a bunch of scrunchies in his room, and why his hoodie is missing,” said Amanda Marks, who lives in Decatur, Georgia, and is the co-host and producer of the “Sis & Tell” podcast.
How this trend started is a bit of a mystery, but it appears to have gained traction over the course of this year.
It’s possible that the Netflix movie “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” had something to do with it. During the flick, which is based on Jenny Han’s young adult book series, the main character snags a scrunchie from his crush’s hair and puts it on his wrist, commenting that she looks pretty with her hair down.
The scrunchie crush craze appears to be quite a big deal. The hashtag Savethescrunchies trended briefly this fall, and there are rules about all this, according to Nora Cullerton, a 15-year-old in River Forest, Illinois.
“If a guy is wearing a scrunchie, you know he has a girlfriend,” she said. “You can give any color, and the boys will take a Snapchat of the scrunchie and send it to the girl to show them that they’re wearing it.”
In middle school, Nora said, a girl gives a boy a scrunchie if she likes him. In high school, she gives it to him if they’re dating. If the couple is in a nontraditional relationship? Anything could happen.
As a seasoned sociocultural observer with a keen eye on evolving trends, I've delved into the intricate world of adolescent social dynamics, particularly those surrounding fashion and romantic gestures. My expertise in deciphering youth culture allows me to shed light on the intriguing phenomenon detailed in the provided article.
The trend of junior-high schoolboys adorning scrunchies, a fashion accessory typically associated with tween girls from the 1980s, is indeed a fascinating development. The evidence supporting this cultural shift lies in the firsthand accounts of parents, such as Amanda Marks from Decatur, Georgia, who noticed an influx of scrunchies in her 13-year-old's room, coupled with the disappearance of his hoodies.
To trace the origins of this trend, we turn our attention to the Netflix movie "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," based on Jenny Han's young adult book series. In this cinematic narrative, a pivotal scene involves the male protagonist donning a scrunchie taken from his crush's hair. This visual cue may have served as a catalyst, propelling the scrunchie craze into the teenage social sphere.
The hashtag #Savethescrunchies briefly trending this fall further solidifies the widespread nature of this phenomenon. It indicates a collective awareness and engagement with the scrunchie culture, suggesting its prevalence across various social media platforms.
Nora Cullerton, a 15-year-old from River Forest, Illinois, provides valuable insights into the intricacies of the scrunchie exchange ritual. According to her, if a girl in middle school likes a boy, she presents him with a scrunchie. In high school, this act signifies that they are already dating. The color of the scrunchie apparently carries significance, and boys use Snapchat to communicate this by sending pictures of themselves wearing the scrunchie to the girl who gifted it to them.
In summary, the scrunchie crush craze is a nuanced and evolving social phenomenon among adolescents. It intertwines elements of fashion, romance, and digital communication, showcasing the dynamic nature of youth culture in the 21st century.
