Category: culture

Reflecting on and challenging cultural norms, socialization, and commonly accepted truths

  • The Internet’s Power

    With one google search on the internet, we can answer any question that we have. A whole host of information is out there, you can get the answer from multiple sources within a short amount of time. The invention of the internet dramatically shifted the way that us humans spread information and come to understand…

  • My Social Media Detox

    Social media was consuming me in more ways than I realized at the time. It was 2020, and with more free hours in my day, I found myself spending an average of eight hours on my phone—half of my total waking time. As research suggests, this level of digital engagement was taking a real toll…

  • The Problem with the Phrase “Perfectly Imperfect”

    “Are you a perfectionist?” said my family friend who was helping me with my college applications. We were sitting at her kitchen table, laptops open at one of our last meetings in late November. She had asked me this after I explained to her that I had not yet turned in my essays, the essays…

  • Where Art’s Beauty Lies

    Phoebe Bridgers’ “Scott Street” is a particular song that stirs up strong emotions in me. I first listened to it one night during my second year of college. As I hit play for the first time, it brought up a lot of emotions. With its reminiscent tone, conversational lyrics, and bike bells in the outro,…

  • “No Selfless Good Deed”

    Does a good deed exist that is purely selfless? Or do all good deeds, in at least some capacity, make us feel good?  These questions highlight the argument that Friends characters Joey and Phoebe held in one episode (Curtis, 1998). It was after watching this episode and considering the answer to their argument that I…