For most, there is almost nothing cuter than walking down the street and seeing a dog fluffy like a pillow, grinning with a loose tongue and wide eyes. It’s almost as if there’s a universal force compelling people to bend down and pet its fur, making cute “awws” as they go. It’s an especially pleasant surprise when you see a dog in restaurants or stores, watching them trot across the hardwood...

While scrolling through TikTok, you come across a clothing haul video. An influencer has gone viral for showing a clothing haul of the latest trending clothing, ranging from that butter yellow sweatshirt to a polka dot patterned top. Later, an ad comes across your feed promoting other similar clothing items, encouraging you and other viewers to keep up with the quickly changing trends, fueling fast...

Have you ever heard a friend remark, “I’m about to do some serious retail therapy” after receiving their monthly paycheck?  Although the term is often used as a harmless joke, “retail therapy” is actually a sign and symptom of a much more serious condition called Compulsive buying disorder (CBD). CBD is the clinical diagnosis of a shopping addiction. “Compulsive Buying Disorder is characterized...

You’re drenched in sweat, muscles aching, as you finally finish your last rep at the gym. You’re constantly sore and tired, and don’t quite understand how people can make lifting look so effortless. Each day you sluggishly get ready for the gym, and all you can think about is how you really, really don’t want to work out. Suddenly, while scrolling through social media, you see an ad pop...

Sweat drips as hands clasp tightly around the cold, shining metal bar. Brows furrow and heartbeat quickens as muscles visibly tense in preparation for the attempt to deadlift a new personal record.  Junior Abby Scritchfield has been taking on these weights for years, and has even participated in power-lifting competitions. In order to give her that edge and enhance her natural ability, Scritchfield,...

The computer mouse hovers over the light purple button, tentatively waiting for your index finger’s final decision. After scrutinizing the corresponding answers to the 50-question test, you click “submit”, the screen instantly generating a customized personality type. Squinting slightly, you make out the four letters that represent your newly designated character and proceed to conduct an intense...

The cursor blinks, the last bubble turns blue, and four blocky letters bloom on a bright Chromebook. Backpacks slump under desks, friends trade screens, and a counselor nudges the chatter from “What am I?” to       “What should I try next?” The room feels like a crossroads—half quiz, half roadmap—as links promise classes, clubs,  and first jobs if you test the code in real life. “My...