The subtle benefits of gatekeeping for communities
When I think of a “community” I think about a group of individuals with shared interests and values unifying under a common label for a unique purpose. There is a distinct difference between liking something and being a part of its community. This much should seem obvious at a glance. I may enjoy casting a […]
An attempt to define and address a particular sort of bullying in universities
When one thinks about the term “bullying,” they are likely to have a relatively specific and stereotyped representation in mind. It seems we are all most familiar with the way we were taught to look at bullies in grade school onwards—peers attempting to exercise power over one another with violent language and actions. We see […]
Why smoking has become cool again
Counterculture must be a circular process wherein one strain of thought, as it gains influence, suddenly becomes less appealing to the misfits of society, and its previous tyrannical overlord becomes the new status symbol for the trodden-upon in a perpetual cycle of shifting cultural attitudes. As an admittedly disgusting broad overgeneralization, let’s look at how […]
How retcons burden long form entertainment
Retcons, or instances of “retroactive continuity,” are an increasingly divisive subject in the modern entertainment atmosphere of decade-spanning series and universes with dozens of sequels. Retcons are a type of literary device in which writers adjust, ignore or contradict previously established facts. The competitive attempts of writers in every genre create interesting and emotional stories […]
The future of free speech in social media
About a month ago, far-right radio host, conspiracy theorist and internet sensation Alex Jones suddenly found his entire media empire purged from the internet. As a result of some private and collective deliberation, most major media outlets united in a decision to scrub their sites of all content directly related to Jones and his infamous […]
