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...
Current in Culture
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...
Chappell Roan’s merch highlights the true cost of fashion
The singer has faced backlash for high prices, but sustainable clothing comes at a cost. Chappell Roan has established herself as a no-holds-barred, unapologetic breed of celebrity. Despite being only 26-years-old, the singer has made headlines for speaking out against harassment and candidly sharing her struggles with mental health...
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...
Opinion – we should allow fans to mourn
Mourning is personal, not performative. Every now and then, the death of a public figure takes you by utter surprise. It’s a very different feeling to the heavy pit of sadness that comes from looking at your phone and seeing yet more war, genocide, and human suffering. These kinds of celebrity...
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...
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...
Liam Payne’s death has exposed the hypocrisy of online trolls
Last night, the internet exploded with tributes after news broke about the former One Direction star’s untimely death. In the few weeks before, social media users had been driving a hate campaign against him. Celebrity deaths typically elicit a strong emotional reaction from fans in digital spaces. In the case of musicians, their name trends on social media almost instantly while their streaming numbers soar well beyond their average within days. As...
Opinion – Tiny Desk revived our love of live music sessions
The virality of Tiny Desk sessions shows us that the public prefers a good live session. If you're a music fan, you've heard about the Tiny Desks, either because your favorite artist had a session or because once in your social media Feed, you discovered an artist you didn't know thanks to these sessions. And if you do not know, I’ll tell you a little about what is Tiny Desk is. This...
Has the world moved on from Euphoria?
It’s been five years since Euphoria first dazzled, shocked, and terrified us with its glitter-laden, trauma-soaked tales of teenage nihilism. The show became a cultural phenomenon, thanks in part to Zendaya’s searing performance and Sam Levinson’s high-octane vision of Gen Z chaos. But as the third season remains delayed by the pandemic, strikes, and the tragic death of fan-favourite Angus Cloud, the question lingers: does anyone actually need it anymore? What...
