“Sorry, TikTok isn’t Available Right Now.”

By Amy Nova-Mazariegos (5th Grader)

TikTok is a social media platform that many people use to connect with others and grow their businesses by sharing their videos with the world. This app was created by the company ByteDance, a Chinese multinational internet technology company. TikTok was released in 2016 and by 2018 it was the most downloaded app in the world. In 2023 TikTok had over 3 billion downloads. 

Recently, TikTok was banned due to a ruling by the United States Supreme Court. It was banned because the United States government was concerned over potential user data collection and influence operations by the government of the People's Republic of China. This means that TikTok was banned due to the US government being worried that China would have control over the data of American citizens. These national security worries about TikTok’s Chinese ownership shut down the popular app on January 19, 2025.

The day that TikTok was banned, if you opened the app it would give you a warning message that said “Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted.” After that message came up, people were very upset because they didn’t think they would actually lose access to the app. TikTok was banned for just 12 hours. After 12 hours, the ban was lifted because ByteDance reached an agreement with President Donald Trump. 

We’re not sure how long this agreement will last but be sure to enjoy TikTok while it lasts!

ATTENTION SPANS, ARE THEY WORSENING?

By Michelle Osei-Fosu

You’re on TikTok (or Instagram Reels, maybe YouTube Shorts), watching a minute clip of one of your favorite TV shows. Now, it could be any TV show, but for this example, I’m going to use Family Guy. Below, there’s a video of someone playing the game “Subway Surfers.” It can be videos of people cutting soap, rolling glasses down the stairs, someone playing Grand Theft Auto 5, driving cars, etc.

This form of content is called “sludge content.” Unfortunately, videos like this can ruin your attention span.

How?

Sludge content videos are a form of content that features two or more unrelated videos split side by side. Due to the fact that there are two different subjects on your screen, it effectively splits the attention of the watcher, their attention switching between panels. Your attention quickly shifts between panels. From Family Guy, to Subway Surfers, back to Family Guy, so on. 

To understand how these “sludge content” videos decrease attention span, we’d have to understand two main subtypes of attention. Focused and rote attention. 

What is focused attention?

Focused attention relates to the ability of one’s attention system ability to focus on a challenging task at hand, or a specific stimulus (a thing or event that evokes a specific functional reaction in an organ or tissue, Oxford Dictionary).

What is rote attention?

Rote attention refers to a state in which your mind is engaged in small, non challenging activities, like scrolling through social media or your phone, knitting, gardening, or playing a video game. 

Rote attention is commonly associated with the use of Tiktok, and is the subtype of attention associated with decreasing attention spans. We’ve developed the inadvertent need to be entertained 24/7. There are a couple theories as to why that is. The Technical University of Denmark  believes that the reason why attention spans are decreasing is because of the profuse amount of information that is  available to the public. Meanwhile, Nature Communications believes that because we have more things to focus on, we often focus on certain things for a shorter amount of time, which could be the more accurate reason as to why attention spans are shortening. Attention spans have even decreased from around 75 seconds to just 7 seconds.

You may notice that you tend to get bored after focusing on a task for a couple of minutes. Shortened attention spans are the reason why many people can’t focus on certain tasks for a long period of time. That is just one of the many effects shortened attention spans have. People with shortened attention spans tend to make errors when they shift their attention from one thing to the next. Their performance also tends to slow too. Completing tasks can be even more difficult. If you're in such a rush because you want to switch to another task, it can lead to rushed and careless unfinished work. It could also cause you to miss critical information or instructions which can lead to many errors down the road.

Unfortunately, it won’t only affect you academically but it can also affect your relationships.

It can be hard for someone with a short attention span to have long, meaningful conversations which can damage their relationships and lead to it being strained and having many misunderstandings. Constantly checking your phone can also damage the quality of interactions and weaken connections.

Now, there are ways to improve your attention span. Like getting enough sleep, at least 6 hours of it. Going to bed at night and waking up at the same time during the day can help you sleep better, but it can be hard if your schedule is busy and getting the right amount of sleep is hard.

Eating the right foods can also help increase your attention span and improve concentration. Certain foods have antioxidants and other nutrients that could improve brain health, like your ability to memorize things and your ability to focus.

And last but not least, music can enhance your focus depending on the type of music you listen to. It all depends on your preferences, so try to create a playlist of songs that could help you concentrate.

In conclusion, attention spans are decreasing. Sure, short attention spans can have a positive effect, but only sometimes. It can really mess up the way you do things. But remember, there is always a solution.

Traveling to…

 Washington, D.C.!

By Madeleine Hidalgo (8th Grade)

Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, is home to numerous historical sites that shaped our nation, including the White House, Washington Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and Library of Congress. 

July 16th, 1790 was the day that the infamous capital was established because it was moved from Philadelphia. Washington, D.C. is also not in any state as it is its own district in the US. 

In my personal encounters, I loved visiting the libraries and the many historical museums. As they were filled with interesting fragments of history that were depicted in beautiful and colorful books, walls, and art pieces. My personal favorite places to visit were the Capitol, Thomas Jefferson Library of Congress, and the White House.

Colors and Emotions

By: Madeleine Hidalgo (8th Grader)

Red is considered an intense color as it invokes emotions like love, passion, and anger and can give off the energy of war and danger. But it’s also one of the most invoking colors to our stomach. Yes, seeing the color red makes you hungry as it also raises your heart rate and blood pressure. That’s why many fast food franchises like McDonalds and Wendy’s use the color, it’s a marketing tool to trick our minds into thinking that we could  use a Big Mac or Baconator. This magic is called color psychology and in some not-so-cool-terms, is the study of how colors affect human behavior, not only mind but body too.

Research has shown that in viewing colors like yellow and green our brains automatically link it up to joy and a feeling of balance or peace as it raises arousal levels in the brain. Due to this, people have recommended to study with a blue pen because the hue is considered calming and peaceful, which is especially vital for the tough topics you have to cover in that session. 

Here’s the colors and the emotions they are linked to:

Red :  Love, Passion, Anger

Orange : Excitement, Pleasure, Abundance

Yellow : Joy and Happiness

Green : Balance and Hopefulness

Blue :  Sincerity and Calmness

Purple : Optimism, Relaxation, Loyalty

Pink : Love, Tenderness, Innocence

Brown : Comfort and Resilience

Grey : Maturity and Neutrality

White : Innocence, Renewal, Comfort

Black : Seriousness, Strength, and Negativity

Most colors have explanations from our daily lives and exposure to them in different, distinct environments like black being worn at funerals to highlight its depressing mood or white to demonstrate the new chapter of a couple’s relationship at a wedding. 

Unfortunately there is a limited amount of research done on color psychology, so we aren’t aware of the specifics on how or why exactly color affects the ventral occipital lobe (where our brain processes color through electrical signals). Scientists also believe it can be a placebo effect (where our brains believe something that isn’t true therefore showing a real beneficial result that we desire), but further research still needs to be done. So then, what do you believe? Is color psychology a bunch of pseudoscience or should scientists further question and investigate the possibilities of this rather interesting topic?

Are Ghosts Real?

By Madeleine Hidalgo (8th Grade)

Do you believe in ghosts? Yes, the poltergeists, spirits, and weeps of the dead. The paranormal is a very controversial topic with very mixed opinions so by no means does this article desire to go against any religion or belief as it only provides descriptions on this world wide topic.

The belief in the afterlife stemmed from the idea that there is something more after we leave this Earth, coming from other religions, their gods, and honest speculation from other people. Truth is, no amount of science we currently hold has any evidence there is an afterlife. That's where paranormal investigators come in to bridge that gap of knowledge. 

Paranormal investigators dedicate their time and energy into proving the accuracy of the other side. They often go to ‘haunted’ locations with unexplainable activity, believed to fit the description of being supernatural as they attempt to communicate with the dead, using items like EMF readers (electromagnetic field detectors that find ghosts or an area with more activity), Spirit Boxes (devices that go through both FM and AM radio stations quickly as the ghosts pause on certain words or phrases to communicate their messages), and even flashlights to answer yes or no questions (ex. asking the spirit to turn the flashlight off or yes and keep it on if no).

One of the most famous investigators being Ed and Lorraine Warren, the self-taught couple who actually helped out families and investigated cases like with the real life Annabelle doll and the Amityville case, where a family was being tormented by another force to which the couple believed to be a demon. Lorraine being thought of as an empath, being able to experience events that happened to the spirits and communicate with the other side better than most. 

           In the modern day, others have also experimented with the paranormal world, holding investigations of their own and sharing it for the masses to see on the internet. Two Kansas boys, Sam Golbach and Colby Brock, created a YouTube channel, ‘Sam and Colby’, documenting and explaining the stories of haunted areas around the world, emassing 13.7 million subscribers and gaining over 2 billion views. They've visited numerous locations like the real life Conjuring House, the Queen Mary vessel, and Stanley Hotel, collaborating with other creators to showcase that there actually might be more to what we know about life and death. 

           On the other hand, many people also don't believe in the supernatural, opting out of the idea of there being anything out there. They also believe that investigations can be faked or debunked to be something else. For example creaky floor boards can be justified from the property being over 2 centuries old or the door being opened from a gust of wind. 

             At the end of the day, we don't know for certain what the truth is as we lie here in speculation, but what we do know is that: no matter your beliefs, others are allowed to have their own. So then, do you think ghosts are real?

Mental Health 

By Adrianna Lucas

Mental health is something that teens and adults seem to struggle with and is a worldwide issue that about 22.8% of the world tends to go through without seeking help. Mental health plays a big part in most people's lives which is part of the reason why addictions can happen or lives can be taken. 

The Different Types of Mental Health Issues

There are various types of mental health categories that are very life-affecting such as schizophrenia (chronic head disorder), depression, eating disorders etc. These all are just examples of the many life threatening disorders that impact a person's daily life. Mental health is often a topic that's not dug into deep enough. Although it is talked about, what isn't brought up are the specific types of mental health issues and how it can affect the everyday life of others.

Being Aware

Mental health can affect the way a person behaves, thinks, sees life and approaches things. It can make people act in a certain way or act unrecognizable. Some people who suffer from mental health can be struggling in silence without any signs, which is a reason why you should be mindful of how you act. You never really know who can be struggling around you which is why it's always important to check up on your friends and family! Just a simple “How is your day?” or, “Are you okay?” can make a person feel seen and heard way more and it will let them know they have people surrounding them that are there and available always like therapy.