On Feb. 13, many McGill student groups shared posts on social media advertising a new online platform designed for university students: Sidechat. Sidechat’s launch at McGill was accompanied by heavy marketing, with free cookies given to those who created an account, and money being offered to anyone who reposted the[Read More…]
Tag: Social Media
Escape the digital world and touch some grass
It’s 2009: The early internet days. Poptropica and Club Penguin are booming, Microsoft released Windows 7, and Disney XD hit cable services. But then came social media, along with a lasting novelty that prompted an ineffable sense of enthusiasm to the extent that it is now an inextricable component of[Read More…]
Logan Paul’s genius strategies to make you rich!
Logan Paul is not the scam king that the media has falsely painted him to be. I, for one, am an avid supporter of the hotter Paul brother and have personally spent thousands of dollars on NFTs, which I don’t regret at all. Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are the genius[Read More…]
To swipe or not to swipe: Dating in a post-lockdown world
Since March 2020, the comings and goings of COVID-19 have altered the structure of our social lives. For nearly two years, people of all ages reduced their in-person activities and turned to an online world of family gatherings, end-of-year parties, and even dating. Some embraced this shift in dating culture[Read More…]
Kanye West and the spectre of toxic masculinity on Twitter
Content Warning: Discussions of hate speech, bullying, and harassment. Since the inception of social media, online bullying and harassment have abounded, with platforms being used by certain figures to hide behind a screen without facing consequences head-on. At the scale of celebrities, the impacts of such bullying are magnified. People[Read More…]
Time to BeReal: Could the newly popular app be addictive?
Many students across North American university campuses receive identical notifications on their smartphones every day: Time to BeReal. The alert is sent out to all those who have downloaded the popular social media app BeReal, which delivers a less-filtered online experience to those looking to avoid overly-polished content. The recent[Read More…]
Where do I begin? BeReal
BeReal—this year’s new social media sensation—is an app that prides itself on its authenticity over other social media platforms, and has quickly amassed over 10 million daily users. The concept is straightforward: At a randomized time each day, a notification is sent out, giving users two minutes to post a[Read More…]
Where do I begin: NFTs
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are the new year’s craziest phenomenon and strangest mystery. Following in the footsteps of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency investments, these tokenized digital commodities have taken the internet by storm. NFTs allow collectors to own original pieces of artwork in the digital form. What started as a way[Read More…]
Cut, tuck, lift: Tracking the rise of cosmetic surgery
Blown-up shots of smooth skin, cinched waists, and tight bums are hard to avoid and even harder to look away from. Whether appearing on social media feeds or on seedy pornography websites, idealized bodies are on display on virtually every device with a screen. Bombarded by unrealistic beauty standards, more[Read More…]
Met Gala 2021 fashion roundup: ‘American Independence’
The return of the Met Gala marked the return of its most classic staples: Extravagant looks, varying adherence to the yearly theme, twitter commentary, and men in black suits. Quannah Chasinghorse For model and Indigenous activist Quannah Chasinghorse, the gala’s theme of “American independence” was an opportunity to remind everyone[Read More…]