Forget influencers, the women shaping the next generation may surprise you

Sophie Sanders reflects on a powerful shift revealed in About The Girls, where teenage girls name everyday women, not celebrities, as their true role models. She explores how ordinary relationships quietly shape extraordinary lives, and why that might change how we see our own influence.

In the recent BBC Radio 4 documentary series About The Girls, teenagers candidly discussed being girls and becoming women. When asked about their role models, the most mentioned individuals were not a-list celebrities, but rather mothers, aunties, sisters, cousins, teachers, and grandmothers. In other words, everyday interactions with these, quote unquote, normal women were the most formative and influential relationships. Behind every great woman is another great woman.

I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised to read this headline, a departure from the pervading rhetoric about the toxic lure of TikTok influencers, airbrushed models, and celebrities making questionable life decisions. But, without doubt, this is my experience.