Since Gossip Girl aired from 2007 until 2012, the teen drama did rely heavily on cell phones and the internet, as the mysterious blogger/stalker Gossip Girl always knew what the main characters were up to. Serena van der Woodsen was always totally plugged in, and as a popular and fashionable rich girl, she often set the trends instead of following them.
If Gossip Girl was on the air today, it's very likely that Serena's story would be different as social media has evolved massively since the series finale. This popular character's storylines would play out another way thanks to these advances, and she would make some other decisions, too.
She Would Become Famous On TikTok
TikTok has been around since 2016 so it wasn't around when Gossip Girl aired, but it's hard to imagine a 2021 Serena wanting to ignore this social media platform.
She would absolutely go viral, making up dances and videos that include her favorite pop culture references, and she would grow a massive fanbase. Students at Constance Billard would be obsessed with following Serena on TikTok and they might even start copying her dance moves.
She Would Find Out That Dan Was Gossip Girl Sooner
Each of the Gossip Girl characters has iconic scenes, but no fan of the series can ever forget learning that Dan was actually Gossip Girl.
If the show was on the air today, Serena would definitely find out that Dan was playing this role much sooner. It seems like it would be impossible for him to hide for this long and for no one to be able to crack the code. Thanks to everyone's social media obsession and how much time everyone spends online, it seems that the characters could see the red flags and clues earlier.
She Wouldn't Be Able To Keep Her Big Secret
Serena may live a rich and privileged life, but she has also struggled a lot. She shared that she thought she had killed Pete, as she gave him some cocaine and then he overdosed. She realized that it wasn't her fault, but this confession was a big deal for her, and she had trouble forgiving herself.
Could Serena really keep this part of her past hidden if the show aired today? It doesn't appear to be possible, as people are so good at digging up famous people's secrets. A Twitter or Reddit thread would appear and people would start gossiping about Serena and they would find out the truth.
She Would Become An Instagram Influencer In High School
Many people make a really good living as Instagram influencers, sharing their daily lives, favorite products, workout routines, favorite recipes, and more. This lifestyle content is a lot of fun to follow, although of course sometimes it can allow people to fall into the "comparison trap" of realizing that real life can be different from these perfect images and videos.
Serena would likely become an influencer, too, and this could happen for her in high school, as people would be fascinated by her every move.
Georgina Would Blackmail Serena Through Social Media
While fans sometimes felt empathetic toward Georgina, she was a toxic character who did all that she could to take down Serena and Blair. In season 1, she gave Serena drugs so she wouldn't be able to take the SAT, and that's just one of the many horrible things that she has done to her.
A more contemporary Georgina would likely blackmail Serena through social media. It would be a convenient forum for this, as she could send Serena DMs from random s, and Serena would have trouble figuring out who was behind it.
She Couldn't Really Disappear
At the beginning of season 6, Serena disappeared and the other characters made it a priority to locate her. In the episode 'Gone Maybe Gone,' Serena's friends learn that she has been going by the name Sabrina and pretending to be someone else. They think that she's getting married and then realize that she isn't.
If the show aired in 2021, it seems unlikely that Serena could go missing for so long, as someone would recognize her and post about her on social media. It's very hard to go off the grid these days as everyone is so connected online.
She Might Star In Her Own Reality Show
There seem to be new reality shows premiering every week, and in the almost ten years since Gossip Girl went off the air, the genre has exploded. If Gossip Girl was on the air now, it's totally possible that someone would be interested in making a reality show about Serena.
It could follow her years at a private high school and all of the juicy drama that happens to her, or it could focus on her post-high school life which is equally fabulous and fashionable. Since Serena is kind of a socialite, this show would definitely get a high viewership.
She Wouldn't Go To College At All
In season 4, the main characters headed off to college, and Serena went to Columbia. But if the show aired today, Serena's future would likely look different. She wouldn't feel pressure to attend post-secondary education, as more and more people are open to exploring different types of paths now.
It's true that Serena grew up in a privileged world with high expectations, and she felt that she had to at least try school, but it was clear that Serena's heart wasn't in college at all.
She Would Live A Healthier Life
In the original series, Serena drank a lot and did a lot of drugs, and fans were used to her self-destructive behavior. Serena might want to clean up her act today and become more interested in living a healthier life.
In the past few years, going gluten-free, eating more vegetables, drinking more water, and finding fun workouts are all parts of the wellness world that have become an important part of many people's daily lives. It seems like Serena, with all of her money and resources, would be interested in becoming healthier and happier. She would get caught up in following these trends.
She Might Not Be So Willing To Forgive Dan
While Serena and Dan hurt each other a lot, fans ship this couple and they're a favorite part of the show. When Serena learned that Dan was Gossip Girl, she forgave him because he said that he had always loved her and she felt that he had sent out all of these blasts because of those romantic feelings.
But does this conclusion really make sense in 2021? It's possible that Serena would have more questions and that she wouldn't be so quick to move on. She might find Dan's behavior toxic and creepy, and she might not love that he was spying on everyone for so long.