"The Girlies Are Fed Up" — Women Are Spending the Summer at Monasteries

Apparently, a large number of Gen Z women are swapping bikinis and Long Island iced teas this summer for a stay at a monastery or some other religious retreat to take a vow of silence.

A vow of silence is a spiritual practice — some see it as penance, while others use it as a way to quiet distractions and reconnect with a higher power. And with all the chaos happening in the world right now, it sounds like something we all might need!

This whole “Gen Z women taking a vow of silence” trend is happening in New York, and it’s gotten so popular that monasteries are having to put people on waitlists. According to TikTok user @mc667868, she tried to book her moment of silence this summer at a Catholic monastery she visited last year, only to be told there were no openings for the next three months.

But the real question is: Are they going for actual spiritual healing, or just trying to get in on the next viral trend?

Taking a vow of silence isn’t exactly something most people have on their summer to-do list. Sure, some might do it, but when was the last time you heard someone say, “Oh yeah, I’m heading out to take a vow of silence”? Umm… never. At least not for me.

But for summer 2025, it looks like more women, particularly Gen Z, are carving out a little quiet time by heading to religious spaces to take a vow of silence. TikToker @mc667868 said she did it last year, and all it took was a quick email to the nuns at a Catholic monastery to set it up.

Since no one was really doing it then, the openings were wide open. So this year, when she went to book again, she didn’t think twice. That is, until she was told there were no openings at the moment, and there wouldn’t be any for the next three months.

Apparently, Gen Z caught wind of the practice and turned it into a trend (as they usually do). And now, these monasteries are booked solid. While @mc667868 credits the sudden interest to “things being bad,” other people had different thoughts.

One commenter said, “This is SO upstate New York,” and another added, “So many privileged white people who can take time off for a vacation, especially in NY.” So yeah, it sounds like some people see it as wealthy Gen Zers using the vow of silence as an excuse to flex their freedom, doing it more because it’s trending, not for a deep spiritual reason.

Still, it seems like a lot of women have just had enough (of everything) and are using part of their summer to unplug and shut it all out. And honestly, that feels a lot more plausible. Sure, some might be hopping on the trend just because it’s trending, but compared to some of the other trends going around, this one actually seems worth jumping on (if their time is used as intended).

With so many people heading to monasteries, maybe Gen Z is starting to recognize just how draining social media and constant notifications can be — and the toll it can take on mental health.

Most of us millennials have already figured that out. In fact, some Gen Zers are even buying Blackberrys just to unplug from their smartphones and all the constant access that comes with them. So while the monastery openings aren’t exactly easy to come by anymore, maybe this trend will actually give some Gen Z women the quiet time they need to reflect and reset.