Cambridge Dictionary’s word of the year is ‘manifest’
Meaning ‘dream’ or ‘willing something into existence,’ it beat out ‘brat’ and ‘demure’ after a surge of celebrity-inspired popularity on social media. Clearly, 2024 was all about positive thinking. ‘Manifest’ has been named word of the year by Cambridge Dictionary. Though it’s more than six centuries old, it’s been given new...
Current in Offbeat
Exploring Gen Z’s love of horoscopes
From Aristotle to A-listers, astrology has been popular for centuries. Gen Z is particularly obsessed, with star signs playing a major role in how they interact on social media. Whether you believe in the power of the Zodiac or not, star signs have been in magazines since 1930, when...
Has being a ‘roadman’ finally gone out of fashion?
It’s 2024… ‘low them tings there People, especially kids, will adopt what’s deemed to be fashionable. Thankfully, the ‘chav’ to ‘roadman’ arc appears to be on its last legs in England. Growing up in south London in the noughties was incredibly fun. Your mates were always out after school on bikes...
Are cigarettes on trend again?
Amid the resurgence of smoking among celebrities and influencers, a recent study shows that 57 per cent of young people think it’s fashionable, despite the risks being so well-known. Of every trend to make a comeback, smoking was an unlikely contender. It’s 2024, after all, the year that saw efforts to...
Is ‘little treat’ culture sabotaging your financial future?
Coping with the stressors of everyday life isn't easy, but is rewarding ourselves with a little treat anytime we complete a task really necessary? In recent years, a tantalising trend has taken hold of the internet. It's been celebrated on TikTok, showcased in memes, and glorified in comfortingly relatable social media...
What is the IKEA effect and how does it apply to relationships?
We value IKEA furniture more because we’ve invested time and energy into reading the instructions and then assembling it. This has taken on a whole new meaning online. For gamblers, the ‘sunk cost fallacy’ might sound familiar. Defined as ‘a reluctance to abandon a strategy or course of action because...
Exploring the meaning of Mexico’s Dia de Muertos
Let's explore the emotional context of the 'Day of the Dead' celebrations a few days before they begin. It is not surprising that The Day of the Dead is the holiday for which Mexico is most internationally recognised. For some people, this celebration is a contradictory concept because it surrounds death from a more lively and colourful point of view, incorporating large ofrendas (offerings) and various symbols. There is a great beauty...
What Prague’s pub-crawl ban means for tourism
The new legislation is a blow for travellers looking for cheap, booze-filled nights out. For a certain type of tourist, Prague has long been synonymous with cheap beer, mediaeval charm, and a night out you’ll definitely forget. In fact, for many British party-goers, Prague has become a rite of passage. An accessible land of frothy Pilsner and wallet-friendly drinks, the Czech capital, with its fairytale skyline and riverfront bars, has become...
Opinion – I’m sick of seeing people waste food on social media
Given the state of our world at present, why are content creators still going viral for making a show of mass-consumption and promoting throwaway culture when this is so blatantly in poor taste? Sometimes, I genuinely think that most of us don’t give a rat’s arse about what’s going on in the world. Even though we’re all well-aware of how intensely the planet and its people are suffering, the current social...
Stop shoving online therapy down our throats
i’m trying to watch YouTube in the bath. Go away I’m one BetterHelp ad away from bouncing my Pixel off the wall. Is it just me, or is anyone else being low key harassed by advertising for online therapy portals in 2024? It’s either that or male grooming kits. Perhaps my YouTube algorithm sees the amount of Manchester United rant content I consume and has decided I personally need an intervention. Either way,...
