Features
Phones Might Be The New Drug Addiction
by Briyanna White
Phone addiction. Do you ever get the feeling that you are getting bored or tired of your phone? The reality of cell phone addiction is actual. I can support it being genuine because I've experienced it, and I'm sure others have. When people wake up, the first thing they do is look at their phone, not on purpose, just out of habit. This shows how much just one tiny device can change your entire life. Lots of studies have done experiments with cell phones. Studies show that being on your phone too much can cause cancer. For example, if you sleep with your phone every night, this can cause harm to the brain and entire body. Also, some things that can happen due to being on your phone too much are sleep disorders and depression. Those are the most common causes that can happen to you. Wasting your life on your phone is not the right idea. A tiny cell phone should not be the light of your day.
Taking Pretty Notes is Worth It
By Mazu Rakhsha
When it comes to studying, only some students want to expend their time and energy on review if it fails to produce results, whether that be high assessment scores, long-term retention of material, or background knowledge and preparation for future lessons. With this mindset, it is only natural to assume that draining valuable time on implementing eye-catching cursive titles, ornate borders, stickers, and aesthetically pleasurable visual elements into your study materials is inefficient–a setup for failure. While this is a perfectly valid argument, what we fail to acknowledge is that we are human and cannot function at full mechanical efficiency. Allowing ourselves to experiment with decoration can support mental engagement and, if done correctly, even serve as supplemental learning.
First off, to remain academically engaged in the long-term, more than striving for results–extrinsic motivation–is necessary. To make a habit out of studying, the activity needs to become remotely enjoyable. For those who are more artistically inclined or find incorporating little visuals to be therapeutic, this could be the way to add pleasure to what is otherwise a chore. If, over time, coupling effective study techniques with writing beautiful headers and including (hopefully relevant) doodles alongside written notes is the stepping stone to positive associations with studying, then it is hardly an inefficient idea. Theoretically, cutting down on the fluff of beautifying your study materials might yield better results, but adorning your notes to bring you joy will add to your intrinsic motivation and long-term stamina. After all, consistency is key; going for hypothetically effective techniques that ignore emotional engagement needs will greatly hinder this consistency.
However, neglecting efficiency in exchange for aesthetic value is not the route you want to take. To combat this, any in-class note-taking should be based solely on the most effective, considering the limited available time. Delicate handwriting, ornate lettering, and creative visuals can wait until later. After school, more time is typically available, and this can be dedicated to making your study materials visually appealing. This is also beneficial because it reinforces what you have learned earlier. If you are conscious of and think about the material you write down, you will complement your learning even further while re-writing. At this time, any revisions for clarity, accuracy, and detail can be made, too.
To conclude, incorporating decorative elements and beautiful handwriting into your everyday notes to add beauty is a good use of time if it is enjoyable and done efficiently. It can even be beneficial, as taking the extra time to beautify any notes can provide more of an opportunity for revision than you may take if only quickly jotting down key points. Overall, if taking pretty notes adds to your school experience, then by all means, go ahead!
People Feature
Kidfluencer: Samia Ali
by Sydney Goldman
Have you ever thought of being an influencer or maybe even a kidfluencer? Samia Ali is a four-year-old influencer who makes thousands of dollars for her family. She has many promotions from popular brands such as Crayola and HomeStyle Harvest chicken nuggets. She also has 143,000 followers on Instagram and 203,000 subscribers on YouTube.
Samia was an influencer before she could talk. Mrs. Ali learned to shoot videos when she was pregnant, too, and that's where it all started. Samia's birth video is on YouTube! She was born into social media. She is doing hard work and a job at just four years old. Samia's parents are also influencers. Samia's birth video is on YouTube, which is how she started her social media journey. LaToya, Samia's mom, started her pregnancy journey with her followers, and Samia became popular. Now she is nine, still making videos and making people happy. At just four years old, she had 203,000 subscribers; now, she has 587,000 subscribers. She is a hit.
Samia had times when she couldn't pronounce things or had stage fright, and it wasn't something a four-year-old could say when supporting a brand. That's when Adam and LaToya came in and did it for her. Their paid promotions wanted to be in their videos, and when she couldn't pronounce it, it was not kid talk. That was becoming a problem, but they quickly fixed it by making the words more accessible, or her parents would say it instead. This isn't easy for a four-year-old. Now that he is nine, she is saying the paid promotions perfectly. Whatever they need, Samia can say whatever she can. It's risky for a four-year-old to promote these brands because if you mess up with the words they want you to say, they won't encourage you anymore, and you need that for your videos and to make money. Brands like Walmart, Target, Staples, and Mattel advertise kids up to 3-11. These brands are making millions because people love kids and babies in commercials or other types of advertising. They usually go for influencers verified on YouTube or Instagram. Kids shouldn't be turned into tastemakers for brands, and that's why kids or tweens shouldn't be able to be on social media.
Samia's father, Adam Ali, says that Samia sometimes can't provide words for promoters. Samia can't verbatim get the message out," says Adam. "Sometimes, their talking points are not kid talk, so LaToya or I would need to appear to relay those because those are key deliverables that the brands want."
Who Is Sabrina Carpenter
by Sydney Goldman
Sabrina Carpenter is known far and wide for her songs and acting career. She emerged significantly in 2024, making her very popular—almost next to Taylor Swift! Her most known songs are “Please, Please, Please” and “Espresso. “Following that, her records in 2021 were “Feather” and “Nonsense. “She recently released her sixth album, Short n’ Sweet, in August 2024. It was a hit.
Sabrina’s full name is Sabrina AnnLynn Carpenter. She was born in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. Her parents are Elizabeth and David Carpenter. She has three older sisters, Sharon, Sarah, and half-sister Cayla. Cayla was David’s daughter from a previous relationship. Elizabeth is a former dancer, and David plays in a garage band—Sabrina’s paternal aunt, Nancy Cartwright, voices Bart in The Simpsons.
Sabrina’s Idols are Christina Aguilera, Stevie Nicks, and Carole King. David built a purple background room for Sabrina to sing in and posted her videos on YouTube. She sang covers by Taylor Swift, Adele, Ozzy Osbourne, and Guns N’ Roses.
Homeschooled, Sabrina could balance school with her hobbies, like acting. She booked roles for herself around age thirteen and later moved to Los Angeles for her acting roles. That is a lot to handle for a thirteen-year-old.
“That was my world, and that was my everything, and I was so proud to be a part of it and everything that it stood for,” Carpenter told Teen Vogue. “I definitely would have done some things differently had I been doing it now, but I think the show's beauty was that we were at the age that we were playing, and we were coming into ourselves as we were playing characters that were coming into themselves.”
Sabrina’s primary role was in Girl Meets World, a remake of the Disney Channel series Boy Meets World. She played Maya Heart as the lead character for three seasons! Carpenter has played other characters, but some other shows she has been in were The Hate You Give (2018), Work It (2020), and Emergency (2022).
Sabrina has a long relationship with Barry Keoghan, but they are no longer together. People say they have been on and off, but it is invalid. She has dated Bradly Steven Perry, Shawn Mendes, Griffin Gluck, and Joshua Bassett.
Sabrina Carpenter has a fortune of a whopping 12 million dollars as of July 2024! From concerts and acting gigs, she has made a lot of money. Most fans say she works hard for what she does and works her way up to creating success. She sold 1 million Short N’ Sweet copies, making much money.
Sabrina Carpenter is not like any other singer. She has been acting and singing since she was a kid. She started young and worked her way up to being a successful singer and actor. If you are looking to be a singer, look at this article, think about what Sabrina did, and try being unique like her. Fans will love that, just like they love Sabrina.