Tik Tok hauls are consumerist and damaging. We’ve all heard the phrase ‘Tik Tok made me buy it’ but I wonder if this is downplaying what is ultimately a very serious issue: irresponsible and unsustainable spending. By blaming Tik Tok for our shopping habits, we admit how influential the app really is and, as a…
Fashion
Reflecting on ‘flexing’: Christmas, Covid and influencer culture
For as long as I can remember, I’ve watched influencers share their ‘What I got for Christmas’ videos. I loved seeing the beautiful things these older women had received, and I dreamed that one day I would be able to receive things like that too. Nowadays, I still watch these videos, but this year, especially,…
Fashion
Performative authenticity: Influencer sponsorships and consumerist culture
Once celebrated for being authentic reviewers of products, influencers have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years with regard to their reliance on paid promotions. More often than not it seems that influencers are promoting items they have little interest in, and it’s easy to understand why when the influencer marketing industry is set to…
Music
thank u next: Ariana’s all grown up
Ariana Grande’s fifth studio album thank u, next was released on 8 February this year, just in time for Valentine’s Day. But some of her upbeat songs have sad undertones: tracks like ghostin’, imagine, in my head, bloodline and fake smile all share the realities of post-breakup anxiety and the thoughts about a future that…
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How my degree is reshaping am
I’m a first year undergraduate in the school of International Development, with my second year now fast approaching. A common motif within my field of study is change, which can sometimes be perceived as a pleasant experience in some communities yet, more often than not, is detrimental for others. And while I find many aspects…
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New Year’s Resolutions: Why the consumer never wins
Verity Stone looks at the media’s relationship with New Years resolutions.
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