Daisy Magazine for LL530 Writing In The Media.

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BEAUTY

LIFESTYLE

GETTING REAL

Favourite beauty products April 2018.

Visiting Australia.

Inside account: Living with an invisible illness.

A Review of one of the biggest weekends of 2016.

When things come to an end.

Social media is for idiots.

D A I S Y. ………

Issue One April 2018

UK £2.50

Editor’s review: Visiting Amsterdam.

Moving on from someone, best breakup tips.

E D I T O R’ S L E T T E R. ………

INSIDE. BEAUTY Favourite beauty products April 2018. P12

LIFESTYLE Visiting Australia. P8

A Review of one of the biggest weekends of 2016. P20 Editor’s review: Visiting Amsterdam. P26 Yummy recipes. P25

GETTING REAL Inside account: Living with an invisible illness. P4 Moving on from someone, best breakup tips. P22 When things come to an end. P32 Social media is for idiots. P36

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L I V I N G W I T H A N I N V I S I B L E I L L N E S S. ………

No one truly knows or understands what another person may be going through either mentally or physically just from one glance. We are all human beings with our own agendas, going about our day to day lives perhaps carrying baggage that others don’t even see weighing down our shoulders. We can never really judge what a person is going through based on a first glance, so we should be mindful and look out for each other.

One thing that people will never know about me unless I notify them verbally is the fact that I suffer from a genetic connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome type 3, that I was diagnosed with aged eighteen after years and years of unexplained pain. It is 4.

probably the most misunderstood and varying condition out there and by the phrase ‘connective tissue’ you can understand that it affects almost everything to do with the body, as it is a defect in the protein collagen. This is ultimately the glue that holds us together. My skin is stretchy and will bruise easily, my joints are hypermobile; clicking and dislocating easily, and the pain I feel generally makes me feel like a ninety-year-old woman at times. As a result of all this I can feel tired easily as standing and sitting for prolonged periods is a struggle. Feeling faint and cold is another thing I have to deal with. The sad thing is, for me this condition isn’t visible, and people would never give their seat up

Getting Real: Inside Accounts

for me on a long train journey if I was having a particularly difficult day; and that’s what people find hard to understand.

to say, ‘I think my hip has just gone out’ and then proceed to explain why. It’s very exhausting.

You don’t use a wheelchair, so you must be capable of standing still for this busy forty-minute train journey; you’re a young woman after all!

I try to stay as physically active as I can despite the pain, as I want to do everything that everyone else can do to stay fit, and being flexible has its added bonuses when it comes to my dancing hobbies. Being inactive and putting on weight would cause me so much more grief and I’d end up in a vicious cycle of pain and not being able to do anything about it. As my physiotherapist once said to me ‘quitting every activity like you have, due to pain, is only going to make it worse if you attempt to try exercising regularly again’. So, I took up all that I had once quit and avoided contact sports to stay mobile and active.

Fortunately for me, I am not confined to a wheelchair like a few others with my condition; and that I am very grateful for.

I wish I could state my condition to someone and they just automatically understood without me having to recite a small essay about how I may be affected by something. Other invisible conditions such as diabetes have such a greater awareness and people, to an extent, will recognize your needs a bit more than if I were

Few programmes on TV have done a wonderful job of spreading awareness of this condition, with the character Izzy on Coronation Street being a sufferer of EDS and the actress herself. They have shown how it may be a struggle for certain sufferers to be able to healthily carry a baby themselves, and the controversial use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. This

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Morning have covered real life stories of couples having their baby taken away from them as they were suspected of child abuse due to the easy bruising of skin in some cases. All of which is very sad and tragic. The recent BBC News story about a couple who lost three of their teenage children to Vascular Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is without a doubt the most heart-breaking.

After being misdiagnosed with sudden death syndrome, it was genetic testing that led them to discover it was Vascular EDS that had caused the children’s early and unexpected deaths. VEDS is the rarest and probably most horrific type of EDS as it affects the vital organs ability to function so much more than any other type.

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An interesting early symptom of EDS is being late at learning to walk. Certainly not learning how to walk until the age of two, my mum was suspicious. But I aced walking shortly after, and was able to run away and cause mischief on two feet as soon as I could.

Despite everything I know that this is just one of those problems that I have learnt to deal with, and everyone has their own problems affecting them. I’m just an ordinary gal who sometimes feels one-hundred years old. But this has certainly made me much more aware of others possible needs and I know that it could be so much worse. So I aim to live life to the fullest.

Getting Real: Inside Accounts

Lifestyle

Australia

REASONS TO VISIT.

Australia has always appealed to me since I can remember. I think I’ve just always thought of it as a ‘better’ United Kingdom. Whereby they still speak English, drive on the same side of the road as us, have the same ‘Western’ culture as we do; but the weather is just sooo much better there.

It’s no wonder roughly 60,000 Brits emigrate down-under every year, they clearly have the right idea. Having seen so many Wanted Down Under TV episodes, it’s no wonder I’m so very

keen to visit the country. Everything about it seems so wonderful and relaxed and just generally better. I guess the only downside of moving there, and the main thing that puts more people off doing it, is the fact that it is the other side of the world, so very remote, and does take 24 hours and a lot of money to get there.

So maybe I’ll just stick with the visiting part, because I’m not sure I’m prepared to move somewhere so very far away from my friends and family.

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The opportunities.

The huge country that Australia is, and the better weather and array of things to see and do, just provides so many more opportunities than in the UK. More time to explore, more things to explore and learn from than in the UK. I want to go on an adventure and visit some place different to my own country and culture.

The weather.

The accent.

The better weather means barbeques can happen almost every day, and what better place to have one than on one of their many beautiful and idyllic beaches; that’s the dream! Better weather means better moods (from my experience of sunny weather in the UK compared to rainy days anyway). Better weather also means the likelihood of a tan, and just generally looking and feeling better about yourself.

Stepping out of the front door in a nice floaty summer dress and just feeling ready for whatever a day in Australia throws at you.

I just want to talk about how fantastic the Australian accent is, and why I’d love to be surrounded by them for a period of time. I don’t know one person who doesn’t think the Australian accent is super cool. Even when my mum sticks Neighbours on the TV it’s so refreshing to watch a television programme that isn’t American or British for a change. Everything they talk about just seems so much better in an Australian accent.

The animals.

There are so many animals that exist nowhere else but in Australia; it is riddled with endemic species, making it automatically so much more unique than any European country local to the UK. The koala for instance, which is probably the most well-known and cuddly-looking creature there, (apart from all the venomous spiders and snakes; well-known but not cuddly. However, we will ignore those for this article). Although I have heard that koalas are infested with chlamydia, (not so cute and cuddly). In the UK we have signs warning us of potential deer running wild and across the road. But in Australia, it’s kangaroos that pose the threat and that they are warned of; and I just find that great and slightly amusing. Especially as kangaroos are so big and hench-looking. The vast amount of biodiversity in Australia is just huge and waiting to be explored.

Lifestyle

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B E A U T Y.

Editor’s Top Beauty Favourites

First of all, I want to talk about the backbone to my makeup bag. My Mac Studio Finish SPF 30 concealer.

This concealer is brilliant for using under the eye, on the cheekbones, on the forehead and nose as a highlighter; and great for covering bad skin or uneven skin tones. It’s super creamy and blends seamlessly with pretty much any foundation. Plus, it lasts for so long, meaning it’s definitely worth the £16 it costs. You can also find MAC products on ASOS, so you can use your 10% off with UNiDAYS if you happen to be a student, (even more reasons it’s

great!). I use this concealer with a Mac concealer brush after my foundation and then use the tip of my beauty blender to blend it all out to a smooth and natural finish.

I would very much recommend this product for that ‘air brushed’ skin look.

Beauty

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Next, one of my favourite foundations; the Urban Decay Naked Skin weightless ultra definition liquid makeup foundation. Although not one I’d typically wear on nights out, as it isn’t one of those extreme long-lasting ones, it is a great every-day foundation to wear. It’s light, super blend-able and looks so natural on the skin, as though you aren’t wearing makeup

What about hair products?

Well, if you’re blonde and looking to refresh your look or mix it up a little I would 100% recommend this toning shampoo from Bleach London.

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Beauty

at all. It’s also paraben-free and vegan friendly if you’re seeking animal and Earth-friendly products for your makeup bag. It is priced at £28.50 on the Urban Decay website, but you can find it on UNiDAYS for that extra 10% off!

This product I absolutely love as it makes my hair so ashy/silvery after just one use. You do need to have hair light enough in order to take the toner in the first place, (it won’t work on brunettes or dark blondes, sorry!). So you may require a trip to the hairdressers or two in order to have light enough hair in the first place.

Which may come at a cost to your pocket and the health of your hair, as it is a well-known fact that bleach isn’t your hair’s best friend. So, if you do regularly use this shampoo in-between washes, I would recommend a really high-quality damage repair shampoo as an alternative when you aren’t using the silver shampoo, as it can be very drying over time. Yes,

this shampoo is a very dark purple (do not be alarmed), and it does resemble some sort of paint you would use as a child. But it’s the violet pigments in this shampoo that counteract the yellowness of the blonde in your hair. Magic!

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The MAC Rose Prep + Prime Fix+ spray is not a setting spray like you would instantly assume it is.

It’s more than that; a spray that can be used before and after your makeup, or both. It comes in lots of different scents or just plain scented, but I use the rose scent because who doesn’t love the smell of roses?

Ultimately, its use is to refresh your makeup once you have finished it, to make it look less cakey and more fresh, radiant and natural.

You can also use it before you start your makeup as a sort-of primer, as it’s great for hydrating your skin before you smother it in various products. Another use, but not one advertised by Mac, is it’s great for using with eyeshadow. Use your eyeshadow brush and your chosen colour like normal, give the brush with the eyeshadow a few spritz of the spray before you apply to your eyes and you will find that the spray really brings

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Beauty

out the pigments in the eyeshadow colour. Giving a much bolder and richer look to the colour of your eyeshadow. I bought this product on a whim, I wouldn’t usually buy something like this as I would think it would be a waste of money and not really benefit my makeup in such a way. But I have ultimately fallen in love with this product and the dewy glow it gives to the skin.

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G L A S T O A year Worthy Farm saw it’s fair share of stars, copious amounts of mud and a life-changing Brexit result.

Despite the Glastonbury Festival site having seen days of torrential rain and flooding the site before the festival even began, it was sure set to be a great weekend. With the likes of Muse, Adele and Coldplay headlining the famous Pyramid Stage and crowds of 170,000 people who were expected to attend. But with Glastonbury Festival, it is not just about the music; with so many things to see and do and an area approximately the size of Crawley, a great time can be expected by all. Even if for some reason the large selection of music isn’t your cup of tea.

The worst rain the festival had seen in about 46 years meant that festival-goers were stuck in approximately 8–10 hours of traffic entering the site, as cars and larger vehicles got stuck in the swamp-like mud and

needed to be pulled out by tractor. Once the site had been entered however, and tents finally pitched, the incredible show could begin.

Glastonbury offers a huge range of different foods, and although sometimes costly, there are five pound meal options available across the site. There really is something for everyone, with vegan and vegetarian options galore, and plenty of pizza and chips too.

There are some great areas to explore on the festival site away from all the music. Just have a wonder, get lost and really explore Glastonbury Festival and what it has to offer. The Park, Green Fields and the Circus and Theatre Fields are a great way to really escape and chill out during the day. Whereas

F E S T 20.

Lifestyle

M U D Block9, Shangri-La and the Unfairgound are the late-night parts of the festival that really are not to be missed, especially for those partygoers.

Muse offered an incredible rock performance on the Pyramid Stage on the Friday, while Disclosure really threw out the right vibes to start off the weekend right for the people watching on The Other Stage. ‘Potty mouth’ Adele gave an emotional yet comical performance on the Saturday night, which was enjoyed by thousands of viewers watching at home too.

the Pyramid Stage and a sea of bright flashing lights attached to the wrists of everyone who watched. With Barry Gibb accompanying the band at one point and a very moving tribute to the band Viola Beach, who all died when their car crashed in Sweden. It really was an outstandingly brilliant performance, and the television recordings just didn’t do the true atmosphere the festival is famous for, justice.

Glastonbury Festival was drawn to a close by the Sunday night headliners, Coldplay. Who really rocked the stage and gave an incredible performance with brilliant fireworks over

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M O V I N G O N F R O M S O M E O N E.

Some tips for how to deal with a break-up, from my own and experiences of other people.

I imagine if you’re reading this you’ve recently gone through a break-up, and are looking for ways to help deal with the loss and confusion that often comes along with recently losing someone you were close with for so long. Break-ups are tough on everyone involved, and if you never get to experience one; well you’re lucky.

Break-ups don’t always have to be a bad thing though, whether you’ve escaped a toxic relationship or you simply grew apart; this will be a huge learning curve for you, and you may learn so much more about what you want from a future relationship and what you don’t. Either way, you want to stop feeling the way you do right now, as quickly as possible, and simply move the fuck on.

Do Grieve.

at a later date. Don’t force yourself to go out getting utterly hammered with your friends if you really don’t feel like it.

Pretending you’re fine on the dance-floor while dancing to Shout Out To My Ex by Little Mix, with hopes they will see you having a great time when you’re actually not, is just kidding yourself. Don’t go on the rampage or decide to take revenge. Having rebounds with people straight away when you’re not in the right head space may make you feel less lonely in that instant, but it won’t make you feel better afterwards. It may remind you of what you’ve lost, or make you feel even more lonely. Especially if you’re after some kind of revenge and jealously tactic and it just doesn’t have the desired effect.

So do spend time crying in your dressing gown over a tub of Ben & Jerry’s, and just let it all out rather than bottling up your emotions and pretending that you’re fine.

It is crucial that you spend some time actually grieving the loss of the relationship or whatever you had with this person. Simply pretending you’re fine Remove From Life. and over it straight away will only come If you’re spending a back to bite you harder lot of time on social

media searching for what they’re up to, or posting 234,432 selfies on Instagram to show them what they’re missing, then you’re focusing too much on making them regret things. Which means you still care too much on what they think and not on yourself. Do yourself a favour if you can, and just delete them. If you still have them on social media for the wrong reasons then you aren’t giving yourself the space to move on properly. Sure, add them and be civil when you’re completely over them; but for now you’re just setting yourself up for more hurt. Especially if you decide to send a drunken Snapchat and you just get ignored, and therefore more hurt. Stop wondering and obsessing over what they may be up to, and stop putting yourself back weeks and weeks of progress. Don’t give them the opportunity to message you and add to your confusion, and don’t give it back.

It’s so hard, so if you can’t bring yourself to make that step, then at least mute/hide their stories from your feeds; and you’ll thank

Getting Real

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yourself later.

Keep Away From Places They Will Be. If you know they go to a certain bar/pub every Thursday with their mates, do not try and ‘bump’ into them there.

Not only will you hinder any progress you’ve made so far, but if you get ignored by them then it may feel like a punch to the face, and leave you feeling dejected and angry. It will also look like you’ve just turned up there deliberately. Don’t be that creepy ex. Of course sometimes it is unavoidable seeing them, especially if you live near each other or share mutual friends.

If they do end up talking to you, it will also end up making you more upset, because if you think that they might want to get back with you after one friendly conversation, it’s unlikely, and only getting your hopes up.

If they do want you back just after one conversation, it’s probably not for the right reasons and they aren’t the one for you.

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Getting Real

These are just a few good examples of ways to try to move on, but there are many others and some will work better for you. xxx

Lifestyle

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When you picture Amsterdam you may closely relate it to lads holidays, stag dos and just a general piss about with your mates. However, there is so much more to it than just half-naked ladies in windows and legalised marijuana; it’s a pretty DAM cool place in general (see what I did there).

houses are so tall and found neatly in rows, and I think there’s something quite satisfying about how they’re all so similar structurally, yet differ from each other in colour etc at the same time. As a lot of the buildings are so old, the stairs in many of the buildings are out to get you. Something we discovered to our own History and horror in our hotel. Not killer stairs. only was it a struggle to get your luggage up them, Amsterdam, like English but when it was about 4am cities such as and I had finally got Canterbury, is a place you’d generally describe back in after ‘exploring’ as ‘old’. There’s so much the city at night; I stood at the bottom and history and culture to looked up and wondered observe and the how I was ever going to architecture is get myself up them too. beautiful; all the

WHAT I WISH I’D KNOWN.

Amsterdam

stereotype. Not only do you have to work out that This was something I the cars and bikes do really really wanted to actually come from a see and have found different direction in the fascinating. However, my Netherlands, but there are friends and I are unmarked cycle paths next exceptionally slow at to the pavements and they organising ourselves so by come from ALL directions. the time we chose a time There are just so many and a date to go, the people on bikes I can’t online tickets had sold even begin to describe. So out! if you hear bell, just Despite hearing about watch yourself! various people who had The Dutch like tried to just ‘rock up’ on their cheese. the day and get in, and after also hearing that I didn’t realise this was they didn’t get in a thing, but there are a because the queues were lot of cheese shops in too long. We took it upon Amsterdam and they are ourselves to try anyway. quite cool to pop into if Little tip- don’t. Just you’re partial to cheese book online. like I am. If you’re going

Anne Frank’s house.

You may just get hit by a bike or two.

I mean, usually when crossing a road you have to look out for cars, but in Amsterdam there are a lot of bicycles, and no this isn’t just a

to bring some home though, just make sure it’s a cheese coated in wax so that it lasts, and don’t be surprised if airport security are suspicious by the object on the way back and scan it with a metal detector…

Lifestyle

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They seem to be sex giant penis! obsessed.

I also went to visit As well as prostitution being legal here, there are a lot of shops selling sex-related products and there’s even a sex museum (in case you didn’t know). If you’re up for a laugh, or even want to know a few interesting sex facts or the history of sex then this is the museum for you.

You can even get your photo taken with a

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Lifestyle

the Museum of Prostitution in the Red Light District, where I learnt the deepest and darkest secrets about the place. It was exceptionally eye opening and I learnt a lot about what these women do and go through. I even found out that the UK is an interesting place when it came to the ‘sex confessions’ board.

If you fancy a cup of coffee and a slice of cake, don’t go to a coffee shop.

If you fancy a hot beverage then a café is your best friend.

However, if you’re after a place to get legally high then go to a coffee shop of course. Just don’t get this concept mixed up or you may end up having an interesting afternoon.

Canals are like roads.

I said there were a lot of bikes, but there are also a lot of canals. They are literally everywhere and they are an

awesome and unique way of seeing the city via an old form of transport- boat.

Every building in Amsterdam has a hook on its roof, and the buildings lean forward slightly so as to winch large objects and packages that were traditionally delivered by boat. As the large network of canals are all joined, it really is an easy way to explore and learn about the city. You will learn about much more interesting, (boring) things than I have told you anyway, but I would recommend Amsterdam to anyone.

You won’t regret it.

I T W O U L D B E M U C H B E T T E R I F T H I N G S D I D N’ T A L W A Y S H A V E T O C O M E T O A N E N D.

Like Ronan Keating once sang, ‘life is a rollercoaster, just gotta ride it’.

There are plenty of events and phases of life we simply do not want to end. But unfortunately, no matter how much we may not want things to conclude, they always do in life. It’s a natural part of living; things start, continue and grow, and then eventually come to an end.

We know that nothing lasts forever, even life itself.

Sometimes there are experiences in life that naturally come to a head. Life is full of challenges and ups and downs that we, as humans, must conquer. Often, leaving experiences can lead to bigger and better things and this is just an example of various stages of life.

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Getting Real

Education.

We are always told that your school days are in fact, the best days of your life. We gradually move our way up through our educational careers from reception class all the way up to year eleven; experiencing increased work load and complexity as we age.

School is a compulsory life-stage we all have had to do in our lives, (if you’re lucky enough to grow up in a country with readily accessible education). Sometimes changing schools and classes can be scary and emotional. I can recall how sad I used to feel when it came to the last day before summer with your favourite primary school teacher, and knowing that come September; you would have this brand new teacher who you knew little about.

One of the biggest challenge we had to face was when it was finally time to move up from primary school to a secondary.

When you were no longer the big fish in a little pond, but a little fish in a big pond. Skip forward many years and I remember the devastation that was, leaving sixth-form; with all your life-long friends going on these new paths. Whether that be different universities or a job across the country. Questions float around your head. Am I going to be able to remain close to them? Will they forget about me? Will I ever experience this much fun in an educational institute when I am not surrounded by the people I grew to love?

I thoroughly enjoyed sixth-form.

It was without a doubt the best part of my schooling days, and I was very apprehensive to leave this experience behind and progress on to university. I barely felt old enough to start a degree. Now I find myself at the end of a three year course in English Language and Linguistics at the University of Kent, and to be honest, I’m not ready for this experience to end. So a master’s degree it is!

I do feel for the individuals who do happen to be leaving university this summer; and others who may be finishing other educational paths such as time at college, or an apprenticeship.

Friends, cities and a whole load of memories are still left behind no matter the situation; they are

never forgotten though. Sometimes falling in love with a city so much may not mean the end, it could spark the beginning of a new chapter; perhaps deciding to remain there and building a life there rather than your familiar home town.

Holidays.

Is there anything worse than that year-long build up for a holiday, only for it to be over in a week or two and those dreaded holiday-blues kicking in?

We all know how depressing it feels when you reach the end of your amazing and incredible holiday away. Packing your suitcase and heading back home is literally THE WORST; especially when your trip away flashed by before your eyes, and you have to return to the stress of everyday life and the miserable weather in the U.K. Even the tan doesn’t last!

You spend ages planning this holiday and even longer counting down the days, getting new holiday clothes and it’s all so exciting. When it’s finally over you just don’t know what to do anymore other than plan your next trip away. It’s an endless cycle of holiday blues and excitement.

The end of a great book, film or television series.

It’s great when you read a book that you literally cannot put down. Reading is a great escape from reality, where you can simply absorb yourself into a

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story and characters who may or may not exist in real life; and create these personas and images of what they may look like in your head, and just really get lost into this block of writing page upon page.

Eagerly anticipating the next approaching chapter and wondering what is going to happen next is a great thrill, and we have control over where we start off and pick up from each time. We choose when to escape and when to re-visit the story, and as we flick through page by page we see that there are less and less pages remaining; and that we are, in fact, approaching the unavoidable end. Which can leave you feeling slightly lost when you turn the last page, especially if there are no new books in a series to follow. Leaving you wanting more. Alternatively, just don’t read the last page and then the book will always be left unfinished.

finished. Trying to find a series on Netflix to replace it with seems like sure a chore, until you finally stumble across the one, and so it all begins again. The endless binge-watching and constantly wanting to watch the next episode.

Life.

A life ending is incredibly sad. Be it an animal or human life.

Everyone’s life adventure will one day end, because nothing on this earth lasts forever. Sometimes if suffering was involved through illness etc, death can be seen as a peaceful escape for the individual.

But if death was unexpected or a life was taken too soon, then it is unfair and cruel.

I know that everyone can relate to the sadness and unfairness that comes with losing a loved one prematurely. It angers you that something can be taken away so uncontrollably, and at this point Same can be said for a great film, you wish you could bring someone or that television series you binge back. As deep as it is, you are always left with the memories that watch all day; only to feel slightly lost and unsure of what to that person or pet left you; so in that sense they are still living. do with yourself once it has

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Getting Real

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S O C I A L M E D I A I S F O R I D I O T S.

As much as a growth in technology in recent decades has made us so much more connected and knowledgeable, it has come at an extreme price. I personally would love to exist in a time where the phone I used only had the ability to make phone calls and simple text messages; which is ultimately useful enough for us to get by,

without being too much. A phone like that is good, and a lot healthier than what we now carry around in our pockets (if the phone even fits).

Without a doubt, the invention and growth of social media has made us so much more connected to each other than ever before. But so

many different social media applications have caused us to have to check our phones so much more than is inherently necessary; and feeling like you might be missing out on something triggers some kind of addiction among us. We now spend so much time looking at screens we actually may forget to appreciate

what is actually going on in the real world around us, and maybe we should actively see how the people we care about are doing; not just finding out by watching a Snapchat story about their day. We can find out so much about someone with a few clicks or taps; we can ‘internet stalk’ if we want to find

out something about a person, and to me this is creepier the more I actually think about it.

are quickly spread and shared by thousands of people. How else did we suspect Kylie Jenner’s now announced pregnancy? How else do we A culture of likes and shares keep up with Donald Trump’s threats Nowadays, we find out a lot of news to North Korea? It’s all so and celebrity gossip on their exciting to follow celebrities social media profiles, and they lives on social media as if we are have great influence over us in actually part of their lives too. this way. It is the easiest way to This also transfers to our friends reach out to the masses and things and 37.

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acquaintances lives; we know far too much than we probably should with pretty much zero effort on our parts.

can do what they like with their social media accounts, but the fact all this is an option and is deemed ‘normal’ now, worries me.

Why does it seem that Instagram is a constant battle to prove who has the better life and who can get the most likes? Is this really what life is about and do we really need to feel validated in this way?

Does [insert name] really need to post 2,398 pictures of her child on Facebook every-day, and how will this child feel growing up, knowing that her mother has shown and shared literally everyone her whole life-story. Not going to lie, I’m certainly glad I wasn’t a baby or a young child at a time where it was so easy to show and share my baby steps to everyone, or perhaps what baby food I’d had for dinner that particular night. Obviously people

I do however, think social media is a big part of our lives and I would definitely feel a bit lost without it if it was suddenly taken away from me. Which is why I wish I sometimes it never existed, and that we just had brick phones that we used for asking when we were going to see someone etc.

Getting Real

Ultimately, I wish I wasn’t addicted to constantly checking my phone and waking up in the morning and scrolling on every platform, and repeating all this before bed too. Checking if the person you’re interested in has ‘viewed’ your story on either Snapchat or Instagram, and wishing you looked

like one of those Instagram models (or just a pretty girl you know). This isn’t a healthy way of living and we all know it. Who needs to put actual effort into getting to know someone; in particular someone of romantic interest, when you can simply send a ‘you out?’ Snap to someone, or double-tap on a good Instagram selfie to let them know you find them attractive. What happened to walking over to someone and asking

them out in front of their friends?

What happened to love-letters? Why would we bother doing any of the things our parents and grand-parents had to do to get to know someone, when we can just double-tap, swipe-right, comment, share, ghost, pop-up and snap?

We are all aware of how brilliant social media can really be, but do we really know how unhealthy, lazy and addicted it has made us too?

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Disclaimer This magazine was written by an undergraduate student for a writing in the media module. All of the writing is her own, apart from the recipe found on page 25. The author does not own any of the images or advertisements in this magazine and every effort has been made to obtain such permissions for the use of these images. Therefore, the author apologises if she has inadvertently omitted to obtain such permissions. All views are author’s own.