There’s one thing I’d bet money any self-assured person was told by their mum if someone didn’t like them at school: “They’re just jealous.” The phrase immediately bolsters confidence and short circuits insecurity by letting the person needing validation know that actually, they’re better than everyone who treats them poorly. The social media theory equivalent to this? Swag gap relationships. A ridiculous phrase – but those who’ve suffered them say the dynamic is something to beware of.
The term, which has rapidly grown in popularity on TikTok in recent weeks, with Julia Fox, model and former girlfriend of Kanye West, among adopters, denotes when a friend or date doesn’t reach the same levels of cool as you (whether that’s in terms of confidence, wardrobe, or career) and ultimately burns down the relationship by lashing out in envy or deploying insecure imitation. “You can’t date or be friends if there’s a swag gap because they’ll end up being jealous and psycho trying to become you,” preaches a girl in one video, now with over 142,000 likes of agreement. “Never again,” swear those affected in the comments.
