echo Prompt: What is a trend that you have noticed recently?
Tik Tok. While I understand that it’s an app built for the youth to express their creativity, there are a bunch of issues with this app that are constantly being overlooked.
Firstly, TikTok is widely used by a younger audience, some as young as eight years old. With that in mind, it’s sickening to think that this age demographic is not only being exposed to oversexualized videos with half-naked underaged boys grinding on air and half-naked underaged girls twerking for the camera, but are also contributing to this content.
These types of inappropriate videos are glorified in the app, and is guaranteed to garner a nation full of positive feedback from other users – which is something we all unfortunately, inherently like.
Famous influencers from this app also appear to be exploiting their naïve fans by asking money from them through in-app gifts.
If the underaged users part hasn’t concerned you enough, I don’t know if anything else will. All in all, this app promotes the idea that you must be ‘sexy’ or ‘attractive’ in order to receive attention (no matter your age).
But, simultaneously, it’s an app for the most hilarious, crafty bits of comedy the world has ever seen. So, all I’m really asking for is for tighter rules and regulations so that TikTok can become a harmless app that everyone can use safely.
-Natasha Maya
Bathing Ape. Just, Bathing Ape.
-Triny
Off-white t-shirts and pants, Supreme, Gucci.
They seem to have become a sensation overnight, and people are just blowing all their monthly allowance on these things.
From a positive standpoint, the entities selling these goods will receive favourable variance in return on investments and students have another go-to comfortable outfit on lazy days (which may actually be everyday so that’s a big plus).
However, it would be worth questioning the worthiness of purchasing these when one already has more than enough. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
-Anonymous
A strong trend in our generation is the tendency towards negativity. The acceptance of nihilistic humor taking a turn towards a necessity, not just in understanding but in participating, to secure your intellectual image among peers. Basically, “if you’re happy, you’re an idiot”. While there are many things for us to be wary about moving into these times of melted ice caps, concentration camps reborn, political plays meant to turn us against each other and the like, I think it’s important that we collectively resist the urge to give in to negative thinking. Let’s change the trend. Let’s leave the doomsday predictions and the “I want to die” jokes behind. Let’s think positive. I want to live, and deep down, so do you.
-Fajar
Bubble tea.
– Vina
Bubble freaking tea.
– Natasha
Is there really a need for me to elaborate on this sugary goodness that has stolen the hearts of many teenagers across Asia lately? If you don’t know what bubble tea is, you’ve either been living under an extremely heavy rock, or you haven’t read Echo Media’s Battle of the Bubble Teas that was compiled a few months ago by some of the team’s bubble tea enthusiasts (check out the second part too while you’re at it!).
-Vina
Xing Fu Tang will open yet another outlet in Mid Valley and I think this entire company needs to chill. Actually, all the other companies should chill out too.
– Natasha
I mean, really, who doesn’t know about bubble tea when every time you tap on your Instagram story, you’d come across at least one picture of someone holding the addicting drink in their hand? Raise your hand if you’re guilty!
– Vina
But hey, something as ubiquitous as bubble tea is bound to hit a wall once and for all, someday.
– Natasha
It’s actually pretty evident these days that the “bubble tea craze” is starting to dissipate, with the queue to your favourite bubble tea shop getting shorter as time passes. And with that said, I feel like now is the right time for me to finally drop the bomb: I’m not a fan of bubble tea.
– Vina
My take on it? It’s incredibly unhealthy and diabetic and it causes a lot of plastic pollution.
– Natasha
Now, before you start yelling the words “how could you!”, let me at least try to defend myself. I wanted to love bubble tea, really. It seems like an awkward little sad fest when you’re the only one sipping lemon tea while your friends are having fun slurping tapioca pearls. Well it’s not. And, I don’t hate it, it’s just that I can’t find myself liking it no matter how many different brands I try.
Perhaps it’s too sweet, perhaps it’s too chewy, or perhaps I haven’t found the right one yet; but either way, I guess you could say that bubble tea is not my cup of tea. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
– Vina
It’s… a little difficult to notice trends when you don’t go out much, huh? Or socialise. Or have many friends. If there’s one thing I have noticed, it’s that people (online) seem to have placed too much value on perfection. Every product must have no flaws and every piece of media cannot be connected to problematic people.
On one hand, it’s nice that people want better things! Consumer’s rights! On the other hand, it just feels like you’re setting yourself up for disappointment every single time you put yourself out there.
– Anonymous
It’s trendy to have a lot of opinions about a lot of things. But hey, if you don’t actually have insight for a certain topic nor have particular care for that topic, it’s okay to just not say anything. Really, trust me.
The Internet won’t miss a half-assed opinion piece, it just puts those with good ones on pedestals.
Really, trust me.
-Anonymous
