Muddy Stilettos


<p>What do you get when you actually listen to Gen Z girls? Turns out… plenty. We caught up with some of the bright sparks at the <a href="https://gsa.uk.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Girls’ Schools Association</a> schools to talk AI, social media, boys, big decisions and what’s next. The result? A refreshingly candid, insight-packed read that might just make you rethink everything you thought you knew about girls today.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-s-about-being-completely-equal-50-50">&#8220;It&#8217;s about being completely equal – 50/50.&#8221;</h2>



<p><strong>Katia, <a href="https://www.qcl.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen&#8217;s College</a>, London, on the manosphere</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GSA-3.png" alt="Queen's College London GSA" class="wp-image-139575" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GSA-3.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GSA-3-600x400.png 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GSA-3-1000x667.png 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>If the conversation around masculinity feels increasingly polarised, Katia is trying hard not to get swept up in the blame game.&nbsp;Thoughtful and impressively nuanced on a topic many adults struggle to discuss sensibly, she’s less interested in blaming boys than understanding why these attitudes are taking hold in the first place. “We’re quite quick, especially in the media, to say boys and men are the issue,” she says. “But treating everyone equally will prove much more successful than othering them.”</p>



<p>That doesn’t mean she thinks the problem isn’t real. Katia says misogynistic comments and “red pill” culture have become increasingly normalised among young people – often brushed off as jokes without much thought for what sits underneath them. “Saying misogynistic things just in passing has become a lot more common,” she says. “It’s almost like a joke sometimes, without people really considering the implications of it.”</p>



<p>She describes toxic masculinity less as something overt and more as an “undercurrent” online, where “the most extremist beliefs are always the loudest.” But rather than blaming teenagers for being online, Katia thinks the bigger issue is the kind of content young people are exposed to. “People are going to be exposed to content anyway,” she says. “We might as well try to make the things they’re exposed to less damaging.” </p>



<p>For her, the answer is talking about it more openly and making people realise this behaviour isn’t normal. “If people stop engaging with that kind of content,” she says, “then obviously those people won’t continue.” And beneath it all, a bigger concern: “I’m worried we’re going backwards,” she says. Her take on feminism, though, is simple. “It’s a misconception that women who want equality or women who are feminists want to be above men,” she says. “It’s just about being completely equal – 50-50&#8243;.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-circles-new-friendships-new-everything">&#8220;New circles, new friendships, new everything.&#8221;</h2>



<p><strong>Rishiga and Kimberley, <a href="https://www.st-margaret.aberdeen.sch.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St Margaret&#8217;s School for Girls</a>, Aberdeen, at university</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GSA-2.png" alt="GSA St Margarets School for Girls Aberdeen" class="wp-image-139574" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GSA-2.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GSA-2-600x400.png 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GSA-2-1000x667.png 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>With all the doom-laden headlines about £60k graduate debt and impossible job markets, you’d be forgiven for thinking teenagers had completely lost faith in university. But speaking to Rishiga and Kimberley, that narrative feels a little overblown.</p>



<p>Yes, they know the risks. Yes, they’ve seen the stories about graduates struggling to find jobs. But neither sounds remotely defeated by it. “A lot of people can be put off by it,” says Rishiga. “But university gives you that bridge into later working life. You learn how to work independently and prepare yourself for the workplace.”</p>



<p>For both girls, university is about far more than a degree certificate. It’s independence, ambition and figuring out who you are outside school. “I’m really excited to move out and live independently,” says Kimberley. “New circles, new friendships, new school, new everything.”</p>



<p>That excitement is paired with a pretty realistic understanding of what comes next. Neither expects a degree alone to magically guarantee success. “You hear a lot about the graduate job market being bad,” says Rishiga. &#8220;But I think everyone knows you have to be proactive now — building up work experience, internships and opportunities while you’re at university. You can’t just expect a degree to do all the work for you.”</p>



<p>There’s a quiet confidence to both girls that feels strikingly unpanicked. They’re ambitious, certainly, but there’s nothing naive about the way they talk about work and the future. “It’s all about your ambition to find opportunities,” says Rishiga. “And then transfer that into finding a job afterwards.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-either-have-to-be-above-ai-telling-it-what-to-do-or-do-something-practical-it-can-t-replace">&#8220;You either have to be above AI – telling it what to do, or do something practical it can&#8217;t replace&#8221;</h2>



<p><strong>Orla, <a href="https://www.trurohigh.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Truro High School for Girls</a>, Cornwall, on AI</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GSA-Truro.png" alt="GSA TRURO HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS CORNWALL" class="wp-image-139849" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GSA-Truro.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GSA-Truro-600x400.png 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/GSA-Truro-1000x667.png 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>While plenty of adults are still busy debating whether AI is terrifying or transformational, girls like Orla are already getting on with figuring out how to use it wisely. She sees AI as neither miracle cure nor total disaster – just a tool her generation will have to learn to live alongside. “I think at the moment it can be incredibly helpful, but there are definitely dangers if people rely on it too much,” she says. “It can be really useful with schoolwork and consolidating learning.”</p>



<p>Orla already uses AI herself for revision. “I have this app where you upload pictures of your notes, and it turns them into flashcards for you,” she says. “That just saves loads of time.” But she’s wary of students handing over too much of the thinking. “When you actually get into an exam, you can’t ask ChatGPT what to write,” she points out. “If something isn’t your own idea, you can’t properly explain it. It takes away independent thinking and your ability to be critical.”</p>



<p>And while plenty of adults are still trying to work out what AI means for the job market, girls like Orla are already thinking seriously about future-proofing careers. “You either have to be above AI – telling it what to do – or do something practical it can’t replace,” she says. “Because there’s only so much a computer or robot can do.”</p>



<p>Still, she doesn’t see AI as something to panic about. “It’s kind of like when calculators were invented,” she says. “People thought there’d be no need to do maths anymore, but we still have mathematicians.”</p>



<p>In fact, Orla thinks growing up online may actually make teenagers <em>more </em>questioning than the generations before them. “You can’t take anything at face value anymore, especially not on the internet,” she says. “Even if it’s not AI misinformation, it could just be misinformation from people. I think we’re better at questioning everything.”</p>



<p>AI is here to stay, she says – but that doesn’t mean humans become less important. “It’s something we’re going to have to use to help us work, not do our work for us,” she says. “It should strengthen our critical thinking rather than take it away from us.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-we-ve-grown-up-with-technology-everything-kind-of-relies-on-it">&#8220;We&#8217;ve grown up with technology; everything kind of relies on it.&#8221;</h2>



<p><strong>Iris, <a href="https://www.headingtonrye.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Headington Rye</a>, Oxford, on mobile phone bans</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-15T125916.672.jpg" alt="Iris at Headington Rye" class="wp-image-139364" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-15T125916.672.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-15T125916.672-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-15T125916.672-1000x667.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>For Iris, the problem with the debate around teenagers and phones is that adults often talk about technology as though it’s something optional — a distraction that can simply be switched off. But for her generation, that’s not really how life works anymore. “We’ve grown up in a world where technology is all around us,” she says. “Everything kind of relies on it.”</p>



<p>That doesn’t mean she’s anti-phone bans in schools. In fact, she thinks they probably do help with concentration. “It’s quite a smart move,” she says. “It’s harder to lock in to lessons if you’ve just been checking your phone.” What frustrates her more is the assumption that teenagers are endlessly doomscrolling every time they pick up a screen. “Sometimes I’m reading on the Kindle app or checking homework,” she says. “But adults just assume you’re on social media.”</p>



<p>And while teenagers tend to get most of the blame for screen habits, Iris quietly points out that adults aren’t exactly immune either. “When my mum was younger, she didn’t have phones or social media,” she says. “But now she does have it, she really likes it, and she’s on it quite a bit.”</p>



<p>Still, Iris isn’t blindly defending phones. With a mum who works in a primary school and has “heard some horror stories” about social media, she’s well aware that younger children are being exposed to things they’re not always mature enough to handle. “I think some people are getting phones quite young,” she says. “If you’re not mature enough to handle it, you can get involved in situations you don’t really understand.”</p>



<p>What’s striking is how balanced her view feels compared to the wider panic around teenagers and technology. Phones, Iris thinks, aren’t going anywhere – and they’re not inherently the problem. It’s more about balance, boundaries and knowing when to switch off. Easier said than done, of course. For all of us.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-we-want-to-make-a-difference">&#8220;We want to make a difference.&#8221;</h2>



<p><strong>Darcey, <a href="https://www.benenden.school/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benenden School</a>, Kent, on Gen Z</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-15T130022.862.jpg" alt="Darcey at Benenden School" class="wp-image-139367" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-15T130022.862.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-15T130022.862-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-15T130022.862-1000x667.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>If Darcey could change one thing about how older generations see teens, it would probably be this: stop confusing “different” with “wrong”. For her, a lot of the stereotypes attached to Gen Z come from adults comparing modern teenage life to their own – without fully recognising how much the world has changed. &#8220;There&#8217;s a lack of understanding,” she says. “We’ve grown up differently.”</p>



<p>And while her generation is often painted as apathetic or self-absorbed, Darcey sees something much more hopeful happening among her peers: a generation that’s more open-minded, outward-looking and engaged with the world around them. “We really want to make a difference,” she says. “We want to be involved, make connections and relate to people across the world.”</p>



<p>That, she thinks, has helped create a generation that feels unusually united. “We hear lots of different voices and opinions,” she says. “It gives us different perspectives.” Whether it’s mental health, racism, homophobia or wider social issues, Darcey believes young people today are far more willing to have difficult conversations and embrace different experiences than previous generations were. “We’re really accepting of each other,” she says. “We understand people better.”</p>



<p>She also thinks adults underestimate the strength of modern friendships. “We communicate differently now,” she says. “But I actually think we have stronger friendships because we’re able to stay connected all the time.” What comes through most strongly, though, is optimism. Far from sounding cynical about the future, Darcey genuinely believes her generation will bring something valuable as they grow older and start shaping the world around them.</p>



<p><em><a href="https://gsa.uk.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Girls’ Schools Association</a> has been the home of girls’ schools for over 150 years, and its 150 + member schools inspire more than 90,000 brilliant girls across the UK. There’s a huge choice of schools – from day and boarding schools to independent and state, junior and senior,</em> to rural and city. Use the <a href="https://gsa.uk.com/our-schools/find-a-school" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">school finder</a> to help you find the right school for your daughter – and browse <a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/school-reviews/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Muddy’s School Reviews</a> too,<em> of course!</em></p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



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<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/education/lindsey-hughes-girls-schools-association/">‘The world may be co-ed, but it’s not equal’</a></li>



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What teenage girls really think. Listen up!

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