The XBox Kinect and the PlayStation Move were two of the biggest gaming consoles of the decade, both released worldwide in late 2010. Following suit of the Wii in 2006, motion-sensored consoles have become a house-hold item. Countless of games have swept the nation, including dance and sporting games.

iPad (2010):

Tablets with larger screens than phones flooded the technology market this decade, with the first edition of the popular iPad being released in 2010. With new accessories being released each year, including attachable keyboards and 2015’s Apple Pencil, tablets—and the iPad in particular—are becoming ever more modern and used for an even wider variety of activities.

Uber/Lyft (2010):

Almost everyone these days has one of two applications on their smart phones: Uber or Lyft. A beta launch of the former occurred in early 2010, with Lyft being founded in 2012. These two tools for everyday transportation have changed the way people get around.

Siri (2011):

Apple’s iPhone 4S was the first phone with Siri, a virtual assistant. Following Apple’s lead, other companies such as Google and Microsoft crafted their own respective Google Assistant and Cortana.

Airpods (2016):

Bluetooth technology has grown and developed, and subsequently wireless earbuds are becoming increasingly more popular. With Apple hopping on the trend in late 2016, the company just further pushed along the popularity of these devices.

VR (2016):

The mainstream release of virtual reality quite literally brought about a new, and unexplored world to Internet users. Two of the biggest VR headsets—the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive—were released in March 2016 and in June 2016, respectively. Hundreds of new games flooded the market with new digital worlds for users to dive into.

When teenagers drink or do drugs, they often do so out of the aforementioned peer pressure or spontaneity. Thus, they are often uneducated on how to properly use the substances. Without proper knowledge on how to safely use whichever substance, it is extremely easy to mishandle it. This can lead to a variety of side effects and mental problems. One must know exactly how to properly use a drug in order to ensure their safety and to decrease the risks involved, as the possibilities and dangers that come from the misuse of drugs can be permanent and sometimes fatal. In high school, parties are one of the biggest contributors to peer pressure, which can cause teenagers to impulsively misuse these substances.

While education is extremely important when it comes to drug use, doing drugs at a young age is still very dangerous, even if an individual is educated on the matter. There are still negative short- and long-term effects these activities may have on physical and mental health. Brain development is at a critical stage throughout high school, so using substances during this phase can be extremely detrimental to lasting health. According to the Addiction Center’s article regarding teen substance abuse, drug use at a younger age impacts the brain’s ability to function in the short-term and prevents proper growth and development in the long-term. Other sources, such as the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), discuss how heavy drug use, especially at a young age, can cause permanent brain damage. Party culture poses the same physical and psychological threats to all teenagers, educated or uneducated. Either way, using illegal substances creates great risks that are not worth taking.

Using substances as a teenager has other negative consequences as well. For example, substance use can have a very detrimental effect on one’s memory, especially when it comes to alcohol, a substance that is known to “help people forget.” It is also extremely easy to become addicted to both alcohol and drugs during youth; those who start drinking earlier are significantly more likely to develop dependence than those who start later in life. Additionally, teenagers experimenting with substances are at a greater risk of causing car accidents, dying from unintentional injuries, killing others and dying by suicide than adults are in similar conditions, according to the NCBI. With risks of brain damage and more, teenagers should avoid risking their lifelong health for short-term benefits.

Adults, on the other hand, have mostly completed their growth, so substance use isn’t as harmful. In terms of drinking, adults can typically get away with fewer consequences, while teenagers easily experience negative effects.

Finally, one shouldn’t do anything illicit just to brag. This is another area where youth party culture comes into play. At parties, people tend to act thoughtlessly, turning something meaningless into a bad habit.

There are always better options than premature substance use; the slight benefits are greatly outweighed by potential dangers. Simply put, it’s not worth it.

Of course, complaints about SEC can often be seen as contradictory: there are those who complain about the homecoming themes being the same every year and those who complain when the themes are different. We have to recognize the efforts made by SEC members to make the majority happy; when you are constantly being pulled in two opposite directions, you have to give way to both sides and make compromises in the best interest of the student body as a whole. By running for SEC, students can more effectively embody the changes they wish to see in school culture. While there is some degree of stigma surrounding running for a “popularity contest,” if there are improvements someone wants to see in the Gunn community, they can make them happen.

People often make excuses against running, however, and say that all of SEC is just a popularity contest. This is simply untrue. While some of the larger, more mainstream positions may be influenced by popularity, only 14 of the 30 positions on SEC are open to public vote. This means most of the positions are appointed. Applying for these positions involves presenting your case in front of a small group of class officers and other past members of SEC who weigh the choices carefully and talk through their decision. Moreover, many of the appointed positions are relatively open, as certain SEC roles receive fewer applicants than others. Because of this, applying for one of the lesser-known positions is an often-overlooked opportunity to make your voice heard.

Another issue students often complain about is the lack of diversity in SEC, saying that most of the members of SEC come from one homogenous social circle. While this may be true, this situation can be easily remedied: if anyone wants to see improvements in this area, they can run and bring greater representation.

Even just by voting, students can make their voices count. Last year, roughly 70 percent of Gunn students voted in the elections. The other 30 percent need to realize that their votes actually matter and can greatly impact the outcome of each election, completely changing who actually takes office. More people need to run for SEC and vote in elections in order to help diversify the representatives and officers.

All of the appointed positions are very specific to certain aspects of SEC and the student body: Secretary, Treasurer, Human Relations, Wellness, Site Council Representative, Special Events, Publicity, Visual Media and Diversity, half of which consist of two or three commissioners per role. This allows for a variety of people from different social groups to run and join SEC. If one of those topics interests you, you can make your case to the interviewers and advocate your position. If you think our money can be handled more efficiently, run for Treasurer; if you have a great idea for a school event, run for Special Events. Blaming others does not achieve anything; it’s wise to take advantage of the several opportunities given throughout the year to bring change to Gunn.

In SEC meetings, a lot of different topics are brought up and thoroughly discussed from all sides, weighing the pros and cons of every action and taking time to think all the decisions through. In the end, the outcome always comes down to a vote. Instead of complaining about the failures they see in SEC’s decisions, students should enact the change they desire. More people need to run for SEC to get a seat in the room and to vote for the opinion of the student body.

It’s a pretty normal thing to want to stand out. Everyone wants to be unique or different in some way. One really easy way to do this is through unusual beliefs and ideas. This is an important reason why people gravitate away from common perception towards the realm of conspiracy theories—they want to be unique. With this urge to be a distinct individual, it would make sense that people would become attracted to out-of-the-ordinary viewpoints and ideas. However, psychologist Romeo Vitelli of Psychology Today also said that this explanation can only be applied when the conspiracy theory is still underground, unknown by most. Bigger conspiracy theories become too mainstream and are no longer out of the ordinary.

Another major reason why conspiracy theories have grown in popularity is the desire for rebellion. Many of the most popular conspiracy theories’ roots are found in anti-government attitudes, from the supposed faking of the Moon landing to the supposed aliens being held in Area 51. All of these clearly demonstrate how people from across the nation have some sort of negative feelings towards the government. This anti-government theorizing is present in other countries as well. Conspiracy theories prevalent in the United Kingdom, for example, speculate about everything from the cover-up of Princess Diana’s assasination to the secret that Prince Charles is a vampire. Even if these theories seem far-fetched, they still have a fairly large number of followers, demonstrating how people from around the world are no less attracted to conspiracy theories than Americans. One cause of this is the widespread popularity of opposition toward a government’s authority, which makes it easier for people to be pulled in by anti-government theories.         

Many people also feel anger and disgust toward certain historical events, wanting to unload these internalized feelings and place them elsewhere. This allows people to cope with tragic events and instead direct their negative attitudes toward a third party, according to authors from the School of Psychology at the University of Kent. When people feel unsafe or scared, they try to change these feelings quickly in order to rationalize their fears or wants. Because of this, conspiracy theories can serve as a sort of coping mechanism. They validate otherwise irrational feelings by placing the blame onto others, allowing the believers to relieve their emotions and place the blame onto some third party. The theories also help with the believers’ confidence, as they think of themselves as the only ones smart enough to know the real truth. Overall, conspiracy theories can have a positive effect on a person’s self-image, helping them cope with sadness and impacting their ego.

The impact that conspiracy theories have on the world is insane; every once in a while a new theory will appear, loads of people will hop onto the bandwagon and all of the sudden people’s world views are changing and politics are being influenced. Such an example is the vaccine argument, which originated from small-scale theories that challenged what was known as fact, turning into a movement in which many people latched onto the belief that vaccines cause autism, though it has been scientifically proven wrong. The sheer popularity and ubiquity of conspiracy theories is spreading awareness of the arguments and the differing beliefs, exponentially increasing the number of believers. The more people are attracted to conspiracy theories, the more impact those theories will have on others and on the world. And because there are so many factors that serve as a magnet, attracting, in some cases, millions of people towards these theories, it seems like they will continue to play a major role in society, politics and the everyday lives of people across the world.

THE DAY BEFORE

Although most people cram the night before the test, timing is key when it comes to remembering content. As many studies have shown, memorizing content or cramming information directly before you sleep doesn’t prove to be helpful, as your short-term memory directly before sleep is very poor. De-stressing and relaxing is also important in the day prior to your final, in order to go into the exam ready but not dying of anxiety. Take time the day of and the day before to do things you enjoy rather than studying hardcore. Make sure to sleep early and eat well to feel rested!

TIME MANAGEMENT

Often times homework and other school assignments can pile up during the weeks of AP testing or other weeks with testing. Your afternoons might be spent studying and reviewing materials for your exams, while other homework is pushed to very last minute as you prioritize your assessments. As this pile gets bigger and the due date gets closer, the stress can be overwhelming. Managing your time wisely and completing any assignments earlier rather than later allows you to focus more on studying instead of rushing through minor assignments for other classes. During finals week you will likely have little to no homework, but often there are still some final projects due the week of finals, so it is helpful to complete these assignments during dead week (the week before) or in the weeks prior, in order to save time during the last week of school to both study and have fun.

EFFICIENCY AND BREAKS

One helpful method that has been proven to be efficient is splitting up your studying time in increments, or chunks: one long section of distraction-free studying followed by a much shorter break. For example, you might study for 50 minutes, then take a 10 minute break to play a short video game or watch a YouTube video—whatever helps you relax for this short period. Then, back to another 50 minutes of studying. By doing so, you can stay focused on your work and study efficiently, while not getting overworked and having a bit of time to de-stress among the studying. One suggestion is to set a timer to accurately set up these increments, in order to encourage and establish an effective, positive study pattern.

ENVIRONMENT

It’s really hard to not get distracted in the modern world—there are constant messages rolling in and notifications telling you to stop working and to look at your device. However, creating a distraction-free environment is key for effective and efficient studying. It’s best to completely remove yourself from your own devices so there is no incentive to use them. In the comfort of your own home, often times you feel safer and more relaxed, making it easier to get distracted. For some people, new environments prove to be more effective when studying, especially when they are completely removed from technology. This way, they don’t have anything to ‘fall back on’ when they get bored, and they won’t be distracted by the temptations of their household. Oddly enough, sometimes places with a little buzz or talking are better places for studying compared to places with absolute silence.

LISTENING TO MUSIC

Most people listen to music when they study, and many benefit from listening to certain types of music that help them focus. However, sometimes music can serve as a distraction. One way to eliminate the distraction factor while still being able to listen to music is to play the same song on repeat. When listening to songs you have never heard before, or even songs you are somewhat unfamiliar with, you are subconsciously listening for new things. You listen for the melody, the lyrics, the tune—all of which can distract you from your studying. However, when listening to one song on repeat, you aren’t listening to anything new. After a few repeats, you will likely stop noticing the song and it will blend into the background. This way, you are able to listen to music while studying without being taken away from your work.