Share: Every season has its fashion trends and with new ones always on the rise, many regular consumers will come following with haste. Trends are always a safe and easy choice for those who may be just getting into fashion. The important thing to think about here however is, are consumers buying into the trends because they like the items? Or are they just buying these items because they’re popular? For example, on social media, people have been saying things such as “What are we …
BookTok’s smut obsession encourages overconsumption of mediocre literature
Share: BookTok’s infatuation with mediocre writing padded by spicy, sexy romance has resulted in a surge of “fast fashion books” to capitalize on this demand. You’ll find the latest celebrity author obsession or one of those samey flowery, pastel-covered romance novels under the #BookTok shelf. Modern literature has decreased in quality after BookTok began promoting anything with a hint of digestible smut, oversaturating the publishing industry and burying genuinely well-crafted novels with the same spin of fantasy and romance. BookTok doesn’t hide their love for …
Family vloggers put a price tag on childhood
Share: Child exploitation takes on a new face now as more parent-managed social media accounts continue to put a price tag on their children’s privacy. Family vlogging accounts have become more popular than ever in the last half a decade, but it brings up ethical questions around monetizing the life of a child too young to consent to their digital footprint. Since the beginning of YouTube, family vlogging channels have been a cornerstone of the internet, for better or for worse, but have only gained …
The Roman Empire still reigns supreme on social media
Share: How often do you think about the Roman Empire? For me personally, before August 2023, I hadn’t thought about the Roman Empire since my 8th grade history class. In the ever-evolving landscape of pop culture, trends come and go, but some manage to stand the test of time. One such phenomenon has recently taken social media by storm – the “Roman Empire” trend. The trend’s roots lie in the initial question: “How much do you think about the Roman Empire?” As women probed the …
Toxic TikTok’s fast fashion trashes the environment
Share: There have been times I’ve looked at my wardrobe and felt disappointed as I’d see that my clothes aren’t “up to date.” I’d go out and buy pieces that are considered “in” according to the social media pages I follow, and then two weeks later I’d see that my newly purchased clothes are now outdated. Over time, people have become more influenced to purchase new wardrobe as it is broadcasted all over different social media outlets. This generation has become blinded by the importance …
Pumpkin Spice Latte’s 20th anniversary is here, but who’s here for it?
Share: Goodbye “hot girl summer,” and hello Pumpkin Spice Latte. The signature Starbucks beverage made its return to the menu for the 20th year in a row, bringing along with it staunch supporters and absolute haters. The Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) has graced the Starbucks menu for 20 years now, however its life on the menu hasn’t come without pushback. This most notable comes from Starbucks’ own baristas, who are required to fulfill the orders of pumpkin lovers. “I feel like it’s been horrible,” JP, …
Anti-feminist TikTok trend disrespects years of progress
Share: A recent surge of women complaining about their right to go to work and go to school is concerning. On TikTok, some women have started making statements and jokes about being upset that women in the past fought for their right to work and get an education. “I would’ve voted against women working. Let me stay home and rot,” said TikTok user esthermadelinelow in her caption. Even more women in her comment section agree. This kind of behavior is disgusting and is doing nothing …
PCC students, please: Get your news from us, not social feeds :)
Share: It’s official, TikTok is no longer just an app to learn trendy dances. For many young adults social media is becoming a primary source to get news. According to Pew Research, roughly 26% of US adults under the age of 30 report regularly using the app as a news source. Other social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook remain the most popular social media for news amongst users. Other news sources such as The Evening Nightly News, 60 Minutes and publications such as …
Recovering addicts: Students balance TikTok and productivity
Share: In less than five years, the social networking app TikTok has turned into the most used platform in the digital world. In the first half of 2018 alone, the same year it ditched its previous name, Musical.ly, TikTok was downloaded more than 104 million times on Apple’s app store–surpassing Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. According to data released by the Chinese-owned company, its one billion users worldwide, 100 million of which live in the United States, spend an average of an hour and 25 minutes …
We need to talk about Jared Leto
Share: The curtain that shielded the predatory men in Hollywood has been inching its way open, yet Hollywood has been radio silent when it comes to Jared Leto, unless you’re Dylan Sprouse and James Gunn. This sunday Leto presented Olivia Rodrigo with her grammy, which then incited a twitter frenzy of fans hoping to protect Rodrigo from the alleged predator. This leads the question, Leto’s sexual misconduct has been circulating for years, why has Leto never formally addressed it or rather, why has no one …