In the age of social media and Gen Z-proclaimed self-love, the phrase “be yourself” is nearly ubiquitous. “Be yourself” can mean being silly, quirky, unique, unapologetic or weird — in a good way. This feel-good culture belies an ugly underbelly: it exists only within certain constraints. Deviation from the normative
Tag: Social Media
OPINION: ‘Woke Twitter’ needs to hold itself accountable
In the atmosphere of blackface accusations against Instagram influencers, Ariana Grande has come under the spotlight for potential cultural appropriation and revealed the hypocrisy of many ‘woke’ Twitter users. Back in December 2018, a Twitter thread “exposing” white Instagram influencers who were using self-tanner, extensions and lip fillers to make
OPINION: The multi-dimensional facade of the “pop-up experience”
You may have seen the photos. Positively blissful young people frolic through fields of giant daisies, pose next to enormous gummy bears, and fling handfuls of colorful sprinkles into the air against the backdrop of glossy pink tiles made to emulate the “sprinkle pool” of some childhood dream. These scenes
OPINION: The streak epidemic: It’s time to get off Snapchat
I remember the first time I broke a long Snapchat streak. My friend had texted me “save it,” “quick,” and “SAVE THE STREAK” a few hours before it happened. But, I had been preoccupied with working on a website for my summer project. Designing the page just how I wanted
OPINION: Social media is no place for true creativity
Social media is often viewed as a place of free and creative expression. It’s not only a liberating force, but a place where one can be recognized for originality, talents, and ideas. Platforms like Instagram can launch young hopefuls into stardom, a phenomenon commonly referenced by the term “insta-famous.” While
OPINION: Apple’s Memoji is dangerous, but wouldn’t be a problem if they had a more diverse workforce
There’s a cartoon version of you on your phone screen. It smiles, says hello, and invites your friend to a party. It’s cute, and on the surface, it seems innocent — playful even. It’s called a Memoji, and it’s been available to some iPhone users since Sept. 17. On the
Student Talk Is Everything We Ever Wanted Social Media To Be
I despise email with all of the disintegrating bones in my internet-addicted body. Please just message me on Slack, Facebook, iMessage, or even Instagram, and I will be much happier. Email is ugly, breaks a lot, and takes far too much of my oh-so-precious time. However, email offers something