E-boys also make use of "soft-boy aesthetics" through presenting themselves as sensitive and vulnerable. The popularity and eventual death of emo rapper Lil Peep also influenced the beginnings of the subculture, with the New York Post describing him as "the patron musical saint of e-land". īy the late-2010s, e-boys had split from this original all female culture, embracing elements of emo, mallgoth, and scene culture. Additionally, fictional characters such as Ramona Flowers, Harley Quinn and Sailor Moon were influential on the development of the subculture. i-D referred to Avril Lavigne as "the original e-girl" due to her polished take on alternative fashion, contrast to mainstream norms of the time and affinity for kawaii culture. Vox writer Rebecca Jennings instead referred to the Tumblr aesthetic as a precursor of the subculture, as it lacked the cutesy aspect that would come to define e-girl hair and makeup. According to an article by Business Insider, the earliest example of e-girls were found on Tumblr, with Vice Media stating the subculture evolved out of the earlier emo and scene cultures. "E-girl" was first used, in the late-2000s, as an objectifying pejorative against women perceived to be seeking out male attention online.
The terms "e-girl" and "e-boy" are derived from "electronic boy" and "electronic girl", due to their association with the internet. Rapper Lil Peep is considered influential upon the development of the subculture Origins