Right, here’s what a ‘bird’ means on TikTok since they’re getting dragged in this new trend

People on TikTok have been calling out “bird” behaviour and even deemed that there’s a “birdemic” on social media, so here’s what that actually means.

Over the past week, lots of videos accusing women of being “birds” have been on my TikTok For You page. These videos are usually accompanied by ambient sounds of birds chirping or by the song “Pretty Little Birds” by SZA. But what does it all actually mean?

Here’s what ‘bird’ really means

If you’re British, you’ll be familiar with “bird” being used as a slang word for a woman, especially in Essex. But in this context, it’s actually way more specific. A “bird” in AAVE (African American Vernacular English) is a woman who seeks male validation or lets a man do her dirty over and over again.

@theevilestlightskin_

december 25’😭 #fyp #birds #fypp

♬ original sound – CHOCHO FOR WORLD DOMINATION ✝️

It probably comes from the insult “bird-brained”, and has blown up on TikTok recently especially within conversations around male centered women.

People are calling out “bird” behaviour and saying there’s a “birdemic” – a epidemic of bird behaviour amongst women online. Another part of this trend is the viral “bird deprogramming” affirmation videos. TikTok user @spammed.misubi even has a 34-part-series for “daily bird deprogramming” where he lip-syncs to songs by women which call out toxic behaviour for men.

Some of the more unique “bird” content include tier videos where people rate different fictional characters based on how much of a “bird” they are.

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The trend is a little controversial on TikTok

However some people are calling out the trend and saying it has underlying internalised qmisogny.

“You’re calling a woman a bird, you’re not uplifting  you’ve rephrased ‘bird brain’ to hate like a man and you think you’re funny,” one TikToker pointed out.

@givenchyshaa

Not too much yall #fyp #fy #foryoupage #viral #tattoo

♬ original sound – baddies east

Some people are taking the trend too far and perpetuating borderline sexist takes on women, but for the most part, people are using the trend to call out harmful behaviour.

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Featured image via TikTok