t h e
viking
Loudoun Valley High School / Purcellville, VA / November 2019 / Vol. 58 / Issue 2
THE TECH ISSUE
A New Path to Fame pg. 04
How TikTok is changing social media Plus
Hudl Up
pg. 10
Social media and college athletic recruitment
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REMEMBER THIS YEAR FOREVER. Photo | Nick Van Zandt
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BLEACH BOYS “Who’s the new blonde kid?”
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BEYOND THE LABELS: ALICE ROBERTS A look into the life of one of our students and why she’s unapologetically herself
JOKER MOVIE REVIEW
BUY T O DAY
jostensyearbooks.com Our thoughts on the controversial new film
NOVEMBER
Volume 59, Issue 2
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A NEW PATH TO FAME How TikTok has completely changed the world of social media
IDENTITY: A TREND How the photo-editing app VSCO is defining many teens’ identities
FOMO A look into the wrapped-up world of social media and teens
HUDL UP A glance into the social media aspect of college recruitment for atheltes
GREENSPEAK Environmental consciences are flourishing on the outskirts of a movement
THE TECH GENERATION Generation Z is being viewed as tech obsessed by older generations
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FAKE FACES
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CLOSING THE GAP
Computer Graphic Images rise into the spotlight on social media
EVOLUTION OF GAMING Virtual Reality’s growing popularity has begun to transfer to the world of video games
An editorial on the NCAA’s new ruling
Sophomore Tirayah Robinson performs during senior night Oct. 25.
Photo | Alison Pike Layout \ Alison Pike | Lauren Smith | Sarah St. John
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A New Path to Fame How TikTok has completely changed the world of social media BY SARAH ST. JOHN AND AVERY NELSON
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here’s a celebrity in Valley’s midst. A quick tap of a button was all it took for him to gain his massive following. Peter Twetten can be spotted around school, or he might even be found scrolling through the “For You Page” on the wildly popular, teendominated app known as TikTok. Twetten, tagged “@petey” on the platform, has amassed over 100.4K followers — a number growing rapidly. The sophomore has already had multiple company sponsorships and has even been recognized in public by fans. “I made one video and it went kind of viral.” Twetten said. “I would get DM’s on Instagram from random people, and I’d be like, ‘Oh cool, these people are DM-ing me off of TikTok because they like my videos.’ It got me really excited. It pushes me to start creating more videos and more content.” With more than 500 million monthly active users, 42% of them being between the ages of 16 and 24, TikTok is producing some of this generation’s most famous faces. 4
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The app that lets its users create and watch short lip-sync videos has made it easy for teens to make it big overnight. Twetten started making videos about 2 years ago, before the platform had really gotten off its feet, but soon deleted his work when it didn’t gain much attention. He started making
It got me really excited. It pushes me to start creating more videos and more content.” more videos over the summer, which is the time his account truly began to blow up. Twetten isn’t the only one to find fame on the app. Junior Nick Shiavone (@nick_shiavone) has 12.9k followers, and his most famous video accumulated over 2.5 million
views. The sound he used to create the viral short has also gained significant popularity and can be heard in the background of many famous creators’ videos. “It’s different because you have people from everywhere looking at your stuff,” Shivaone said. “So it’s not just your friends. Anybody can look at it from everywhere.” While making your profile “private” on TikTok is possible, it is a much less common practice as it is on other social media platforms. Many people opt to keep their profiles public to allow their videos to show up on the “For You” page. “The videos are so entertaining when you’re bored,” sophomore Sasha Biesecker said. “You can swipe through them and they just keep coming, which makes it really addicting.” The “For You Page,” which uses algorithms to sort through millions of videos, displays a never-ending feed of suggested content ranging from comedic shorts to viral dance trends. “TikTok will put the video on, say, twenty people’s ‘For You Pages.’
Those twenty people will automatically see it, and if those people like it, comment on it, share or duet in some way, then it spreads and spreads until people stop liking it,” Twetten explained. “Basically, you’re already on the “For You Page” in some way, but to get big, you need a lot of people to like your video.” As is for most things, there is a downside to this newfound fame. While many users decide to publicly share their videos with millions of strangers who consume content on the app, sharing with their family and friends proves to be more difficult. “They’ll probably get bullied at school,” Biesecker said regarding TikTok famous teens. “Because some of the things you can post on TikTok, they’re funny for other people that you don’t know, but then when you know that person, it’s just kind of embarrassing.” Twetten can attest to this, but finds that the positive outweighs the negative when it comes to someone stumbling across his account. “It’s honestly kind of embarrassing at school sometimes, but it’s fun,” Twetten admitted. “I like meeting new people on the app, so when I see my friend, or somebody I know, I’m just like, ‘This is weird.’” While keeping up with a rapidly growing fanbase may sound like it would be a stressful task, Twetten doesn’t let it take over his life. He says he only will post once a night if he has a busy schedule. “It’s, not a stressful pressure. Well, sometimes it can be. But I want to do this because it’s fun that these people are watching my videos,” said Twetten. “And I hope it makes them happy. So yea, there’s pressure, but it’s not bad. It’s good pressure and I’m happy to have that.”
The End of TikTok? Vine, a similar short video sharing app that was wildly popular in 2013, was also responsible for producing many new celebrities and countless references. The Twitterowned company was shut down in 2016 due to financial reasons, leaving its users disappointed and without a way to share their short-form videos. TikTok seemed to fill that void in recent months, but this only begs the question: Will TikTok meet the same demise? Over the last few weeks, TikTok has raised some concerns about its security. According to an article from CNN Business, “US lawmakers on both sides of the aisle warn that the app could pose a national security risk, and are calling on regulators and intelligence agencies to investigate TikTok’s ties to China.” The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), who addresses concerns similar to this, has begun an examination on the Chinese-owned company, ByteDance, and TikTok. Previously, “The CFIUS tended to focus on companies with military or intelligence connections, according to The Washington Post, “but today, personal data and high-tech intellectual property are of greater concern.” TikTok’s policy states that they collect information such as IP address, browsing history, location, the content of messages sent through the app, and your contacts. TikTok claims that the data it collects from users in America, stay here, but according to CBS News, “TikTok would still have to comply with Chinese laws, which say companies must support intelligence work by the country’s ruling Communist Party.” The best-case scenario for TikTok would be for CFIUS to conclude that they do not pose a threat to national security, and everything will continue as normal. The worst-case scenario, however, would be for the CFIUS to demand divestment, or the selling of minor assets, which could result in the rebranding to be reversed and the app going back to Music.ly. The most likely situation, according to the Washington Post, is that TikTok will have to meet mitigation agreements or requirements they must follow to settle any security concerns.
Sophomores Jane Bodamer, Sebi Jung and Morgan Miller make a TikTok video during their free time in Cassie Smink’s science classroom.
Layout | Sarah St. John | Avery Nelson
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Identity: A Trend How the photo-editing app VSCO is defining many teens’ identities BY LAUREN SMITH AND ASHLEE HALL
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ith her oversized t-shirt precariously knotted, Carmex along with a plastic straw kept safely in her Kanken, and seventeen scrunchies lining her arm, she grabs her hydro-flask and braces herself for the extravagant sleepover ahead. A sticker-laiden laptop sits open with Netflix pulled up, next to it, Mario Badescu spray readily waiting for use. Friendship bracelet in progress, and over-the-top sundaes situated on the sherpa-rug floor of a room dimly lit by fairy lights. In her mind, these casual parties and a low-rigor lifestyle are her right. The notorious phrase ‘VSCO girl’ has been thrown around since summer to describe the basic teenage girl— an image that has evolved into a human archetype. Although VSCO started as an app for photo-editing, the “republish” feature has been dominated by teenage girls, a trend similar to the Instagram hashtags from a few years ago. “People like to build their VSCO feed into a specific aesthetic,” sophomore Stella Hill, a VSCO user, said. “But I think it is still very much about the photography art.” Hill says she typically just uses the app for her own photo-editing but does check her feed occasionally. Although some have become aware of the unrealistic notion that VSCO radiates, many young and impressionable teens are left allowing themselves to believe what social media is 6
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feeding them. “It gives you this one set of ideas of who the perfect person is,” Hill said. “That’s just not how it is.” Phases in social media are quite common. They tend to come and go as teenagers wish. However, these trends are affecting teenagers’ ability to be their own person. “There are people who go to what is completely normal and trendy, and then there are the ones who, like, are “quirky” and they are “different” but the same…
“You have to be a certain way, and you have to ac t like t his, and ac t like t hat, in order to be apart of t he social hierarchy class t hat you are in” they fit in with a group of people who all call themselves different,” says Stella. The groupings associated with social classes in a teen’s life have a huge influence on how they present themself. “You have to be a certain way and you have to act like this and act like that in order to be apart of the social hierarchy class that you are in,” adds Carly Snyder, another sophomore on VSCO. Being different in minor ways is considered cool, but it has to be
Layout | Lauren Smith | Marisa Del Borrello
predictable and labeled. The mom friend, the crazy one, or the chill, retro one- that’s how the rewritten definition “quirky” works. Ultimately, even a teen’s originality must be a popular identity. Media should be spreading ideas. It should be bringing them topics they haven’t considered yet, opening their minds by bringing themselves new viewpoints. Rather than sharing food for thought, teens on VSCO are merely re-exposing themselves to the same mindset repeatedly. The pressure to have a consistent feed that they align themselves with, especially one identical to everyone else’s, is the opposite of originality. A teenager typically forgets to think to the future, living in the here-and-now, and most would readily agree that they care too much what people think. San Diego professor Jean Twenge states that “teens today are less likely to do adult things,” even adding that “today’s 18-year-olds are like the the 15-year-olds of the past.” Teens are forgetting that they’re still growing, that they don’t have to categorize themselves to fit in. It’s limiting them. They might not want to read it, but here’s a question for teens are you really happy when you’re defined like this?
Layout | Sahana Arumani | Ella Krug
THEVIKINGNEWS.COM
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A look into the wrapped-up world of social media and teens BY AVERY NELSON
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croll. Tap. Scroll. Double-tap. Swipe.
Senior Izzy Kidd spends upwards of four hours a day on social media. “I know that sounds like a lot,” Kidd said. “But honestly, it might even be more.” Where does it end? There is an ongoing stream of thoughts, ideas, opinions and content that can be found on social media platforms such as Instagram. They provide an outlet for everyone to discover the world. But having all of this at one’s fingertips comes with some bleak side effects. While Kidd’s four hours may seem outlandish to some, it’s surprisingly typical in today’s social climate. A 2018 Pew Research Center study shows that teens 13-17 spend an average of nine hours a day consuming media online. This number far exceeds any other age group, which begs the question — why do teens spend so much time on social media? The answer circles back to one common theme: social pressure. “I think that when you don’t stay active on social media, you get left behind in a sense,” Kidd said. “Everyone is just trying to put themselves out there, to push out their thoughts and lives, and if you’re not doing th at, it’s like ‘oh, well she’s not doing anything’ or ‘she’s lonely.’”
“Everyone is just trying to put themselves out there, to push out their thoughts and lives”
Kidd’s not the only one who has a fear of becoming “irrelevant.” Forty-three percent of teens feel pressure to post content that only makes them look good to others, according to the Pew study. And understandably so. What people post on social media is a reflection of them; a peek into their lives for others they may or may not know on an interpersonal level. It’s obvious that the vast majority of highly impressionable teens will aim to display the best versions of themselves for this reason. However, the same teens that are participating in this unconscious competition are maintaining the unrealistic expectations that negatively affect other young people within the realm of social reach. “I think when people see other people on social media, they have an image in their head of what their life could be like based on pictures and videos,” junior Morgan Allard said. “But in reality, that’s usually not what someone’s life actually looks like. As humans, it’s our nature to make a generalization of someone, but social media makes it easier to do that.” Allard feels the pressure of social media. But she doesn’t feel obligated to keep up a certain image for anyone. “I don’t allow myself to use it so much to the point where I’m not focusing on people in real life or that I can’t have real life conversations,” Allard said. To keep herself tethered to the real world of human interaction, Allard only allows herself to communicate with people she has a personal relationship with. She also utilizes the “screen time” app on her iPhone to limit herself on certain apps.
It’s when boundaries like these are set that the capabilities of social media shine. Sixty-nine percent of teens feel that social media helps them connect with a more diverse group of people. Senior Gwen Saunier knows this to be true. Her photography business has been highly successful thanks to her Instagram account solely dedicated to her craft. “Because I don’t have a website, Instagram is my way to communicate with people,” Saunier said. “It’s how I make money as well.” Although she reaps the benefits of using social media to run a business, Saunier is still a teenager. And like others her age, she too is impacted by the less genuine side of the platforms. “I think I have FOMO. If there’s a party or people getting together, and you’re not invited, your mind is automatically like ‘shoot, I’m missing out,’” Saunier said. “Social media does make it worse, because if you see a bunch of people posting about something, and you can’t be there, it can be hard to see that.” FOMO, or the fear of missing out, is a common consequence of increased social media use among teens. There are so many “what if’s” that can lead to hurt feelings when high schoolers are paranoid of being left out. Between location tracking and status updates, social media apps such as Snapchat and Instagram can make it impossible to keep information from others. “People aren’t straight up anymore,” Kidd said. “When you actually talk to someone in person, you can really feel what they’re trying to say with their emotions and facial expressions. But online, you can’t do that. I think that’s impacted a lot of friendships and relationships.” According to Pew Research, forty-five percent of teens feel overwhelmed by the drama associated with social media. It’s constant — and there’s no escape beyond the school walls. “You already deal with enough at school,” Allard said. “And I think social media is a way for it all to follow you home.”
“You already deal with enough at school, and I think social media is a way for it all to follow you home.” People talk when they are able to hide behind a screen. It’s what makes teens feel more comfortable to share their opinions with the world through social platforms. It’s also what allows them to consume information in a way that is adaptive to a teen’s preferred style of learning. “Social media is a great way to look at the news because I don’t really like to watch the news on TV,” Kidd said. “I would rather go and look something up on my own.” While social media is being used to share and gain information, it can have undesired effects on the easily swayed teen mind. However, when used in moderation with a healthy state of mind, there’s no limit to how social media can change the future. “In a way, we’re more connected because you see what everyone is doing almost all the time,” Kidd said. “But, at the same time, it’s causing a disconnect because if you can talk to someone over social media, there’s no reason to talk to them in person anymore.”
Layout | Sarah St. John | Avery Nelson
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Hudl UP
As student athletes approach college, they take to social media to connect with potential coaches
BY PATRICK STEVENSON AND BEN COWER
Student looks over senior Shane Washko’s highlights through the Hudl app
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Seven Percent.
A small percentage, sure. But, simultaneously, it’s a number that strikes fear into the minds of student athletes all across the country. Seven percent. According to the website Scholarship Stats, that’s the amount of high school athletes who actually go on to play a college sport. You’d think such a low percentage would be discouraging, but challenging like this are par for the course for student-athletes. Overcoming seemingly lofty odds is but a normal occurrence, with the everyday trials and tribulations in a teenager’s athletic life serving as preparation for tougher challenges in their future. It’s all a process. A process that, sadly, a mere seven percent of student athletes are able to complete successfully enough to move onto the next level. Some might say the determining recruitment factor is athletic talent. Others may say it’s money. But, for senior football player Dayton Fairchild, the thing that separates the fortunate seven percent from other athletes is how they utilize social media. “It all starts with making a good Twitter account so coaches can follow you and keep up with your film,” Fairchild said. “Also, Hudl, that’s where you can show them your film, and if they like it they’ll have you up for a visit. You’ll stay in contact with them throughout the season.” Antwoin Stokes, another senior football player, added more praise for Hudl. “Hudl’s a great thing for football, you can have all your tapes and good plays that you make and you can send that to coaches.” With an abundance of new technology at the fingertips of coaches and schools, this era of recruiting has become more accessible than ever. To bolster their recruiting résumés, they’ll use websites like Hudl to post highlights from their games. They’ll also utilize other sites like Twitter and Instagram to display offers from other schools. “I’ll post film I recorded and send it out to these coaches. It shows that you’re a hard worker and that’s what they want on their football team,” Fairchild said. Megan Stevenson, a senior player on the basketball team, detailed her thoughts on student-athletes and social media usage. “Social media has helped to just get your highlights out there; it’s an easier way to contact coaches and be like ‘here’s my highlights from my game’ and they’ll watch it,” Stevenson said. “It’s just an easier way for them to stay updated on your game.” For many seniors, keeping their social media accounts looking sharp and updated has
added to the long list of to-do’s during their last year of high school. While still juggling college applications, extracurriculars and leadership positions, athletes have to manage their recruiting profiles. Just like college applications, managing these recruitment profiles can only be done it a certain time frame. While all these new innovations have made recruiting easier for coaches and interested schools, it can also take a psychological toll on student-athletes. To sustain motivation through the exhausting application process, players like Stokes and Fairchild try to focus on the rewarding and fun aspects of it all. “It’s definitely stressful, but sometimes it’s actually fun because you get to see a football game or meet the coaches, meet the players get the feel of the environment,” Stokes said.
Social media has helped to just get your highlights out there.
That’s just the beginning of the stress. Once athletes take tours of colleges that are recruiting them, their biggest decision still looms. Even this decision has added stress. Athletes have to take into account what their parents want, but most importantly what they want. “You start to get worried about, like, you don’t know where you’re going to go in a couple of months,” Fairchild said. College sports are also, undeniably, a major business. On average, according to Business Insider, colleges will annually rake in nearly 30 million dollars thanks to their football programs. Last year, The Daily Progress reported that the University of Virginia “generated more than $106 million” because of college sports. It’s a profitable business. And, just like any business, they expect their workers behave both on and off the field in order to sustain profitability as well as maintain a positive public image. The last thing colleges want are to be roped into highly publicized scandals over a student-athlete’s negative past social media comments — a problem that has emerged as an actuality over the past few years all throughout the sports world. Some include the uncovering of racist tweets by MLB pitcher Josh Hader and NFL quarterback Kylar Murray and homophobic tweets by MLB pitcher Sean Newcomb and NFL quarterback Josh Allen. Colleges want nothing to do with past comments surfacing while a student is attending their university. “They’ll ask for your Instagram page and see if you’re doing anything bad on there,” Fairchild said. As a result, student-athlete hopefuls are forced to tread lightly on social media, as the internet never forgets. And colleges certainly don’t either. When an athlete is being recruited, they’re put under a microscope. A treacherous landscape — combined with an already slim chance of getting recruited — has made the dream of becoming a college athlete a difficult one to achieve for most. Although a tough journey may lie ahead for student-athlete hopefuls during the recruitment process, senior Antwoin Stokes lives by a simple yet fitting quote when it comes to paving your own path to success in college athletics. “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the heart in the dog.”
Megan Stevenson
Layout | Lauren Smith
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GREEN Environmental consciences are flourishing on the outskirts of a movement BY JENNINGS FELT AND SAHANA ARUMANI
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he Global Week for Future revealed the storm of clarity behind the haze of the climate crisis as 7.6 million people from across the globe protested to the soundtrack of Generation Z’s rallying cries. One advocate of climate activism within the growing global movement is junior Ellery White. She is the founder of the Save Our Oceans club and her mission is to broaden peoples’ viewpoints with the power of pure fact. This goal stemmed from White’s innate interest in marine biology and how the climate directly affects the oceans. However, she was also partially motivated by the lack of awareness in the school and surrounding community. “I know a lot of people at the school don’t believe in climate change and don’t really help out around the community, so I wanted to create something where students could come in, I can bring awareness and where people could raise money and all that stuff,” White said. For a mere thirty minutes every three weeks, White has the opportunity to show her club videos, introduce them to relevant facts and formulate service projects. The present purpose of the club, White emphasizes, is about highlighting the actions of current student activists, namely sixteen-year-
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old Swedish activist, Greta Thunberg, and the growing amount of media surrounding the issue, in order to create a case for action. “I showed one of her videos in my club and I think people really took it and everyone was really quiet and just sat there and watched what she was saying,” White said. White hopes to expand the scope of her club by partnering with businesses such as 4ocean and fellow activists that she met during a sea turtle conservation initiative in Costa Rica. “I have a friend in Costa Rica who sells these kits, like metal straws and reusable kitchenware that I’m hoping to sell,” she said. “I also partnered with the 4oceans bracelets that I’m hoping to sell.” A similar gesture is being extended by senior Page Costello in her efforts to bring the conversation of electronic waste to the table. She and her partner, senior Ashlee Hall, are three weeks into their initiative of programming a new and edited picture of e-waste into the student body’s perception. “It’s kind of underrecognized. A lot of people will just kind of throw their stuff out and they’re like ‘It’ll go into the landfill and it’ll be ok,” Costello says. “But in reality, it’s not ok.” Despite being a young effort, it is
already reaching out to the Sterlingbased company Secure Electronics in order to organize drives that will accept a myriad of tired technologies. “E-waste isn’t just computers and TVs and phones. It’s also cords, and we will be taking that at our drive,” Costello said. In addition to donation drives, Costello and Hall want to illuminate the toxic footprint e-waste leaves in its wake. “Stuff leaks into the ground, it causes terrible issues, it ruins the soil,” Costello said. “A lot of the stuff tends to go to underdeveloped countries. The batteries have terrible acids in them that could end up poisoning the water and in all of these impoverished countries the kids are getting really sick.” This mission began when Costello heard a student Ted Talk on the topic of e-waste last year. The barrage of information about the environmental impacts coupled with a painfully explicit image opened both her eyes and mind. “He was showing pictures of ‘computer mountain’ or something, and it was in a country in Africa and it was just this pile of old electronics,” she said. “It was like a mountain of all this stuff and the whole area around it was just so dead.”
SPEAK In the moment, she admits the issue didn’t immediately take root and grow into the current fruit of her and Hall’s endeavor. However, it wasn’t buried deep. “It kind of, sadly, left my mind,” Costello said. “I mean I made sure I didn’t throw out anything but I didn’t think much of it until this year. Somebody was talking about environmental issues and Ashlee Hall and I looked at each other and were like, ‘Wish we could do something about this’ and that’s where we are now, I guess.” “Wishing we could do something” is quickly becoming the mindset that is fueling the era of environmental student activism. One of the first voices recognized in the growing crowds is of Greta Thunberg. Thunberg’s message of listening to the science was brought before the members of the U.N, delivering a speech that White resonated with. “I think if we have more people like her the world might be able to change,” White said. However, student activism is walking a tightrope of effectiveness. White finds that while there is a sense of relatability when the message comes from a fellow teenager, it can unconsciously be stunted.
“I don’t think they [adults] realize that if you’re young, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have as much knowledge or if not more, on the issue of climate change over someone else,” White said. To fight this slippery slope of dismissal, Purcellville’s mayor and town council are willing to help students make a dent in the status quo. Mayor Kwazi Fraser noted that he only saw one student appear in front of the council in his past five years in office to propose or testify on a bill. The reasons behind this statistic cannot be pinpointed, but Fraser speculates it could be a collage of nervousness and a general sense that the future is an inevitable force, out of students’ control. “We are open and we welcome new ideas because we know this world is not ours,” Fraser said. The town is trying to welcome more students into their circle of change. Although high school students are allowed to apply to all subdivisions, excluding the planning commission, there is an apparent lack of student engagement. With heightened advertising, the Parks and Recreation group is hoping to cater to more high school students. Fraser commented that the Environmental Development
Advisory Committee and the Tree and Environmental Sustainability Committee are also open to high school students. “The Tree and Environmental Sustainability Committee had Hail to the Trail,” he said. “It’s at the Chapman DeMary Trail and that’s basically showing about plant life and getting rid of invasive species of plants and showing folks how we can have a sustainable footprint within the town of Purcellville, although we have some level of development.” However, if a student has a different ambition, such as proposing or testifying on a bill, there are many lines of contact that all lead to the same goal. “They can reach out to myself in email or any council member,” Fraser said. “Just have a minute or few or thirty minutes with them and basically try to formulate that bill so it can get to a state that it can be ready for a presentation to the town.” Fraser repeatedly arrived at the same message— the town council is the present, but the student and children of the town are the future. “I think we need to empower all young people to know that we as adults are not here forever,” he said. “They need to start speaking up and taking positions on things.”
Layout | Sahana Arumani
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The Senior Daniel Testa isn’t consumed by social media. However, he isn’t oblivious to the vicious circle of anxiety and instant gratification plaguing his peers, ultimately threatening to bestow Generzation Z with the blanket statement of addiction. People considered a part of Generation Z have birth dates ranging from 1995-2015. People part of Generation Z have starkly different childhoods than those of the Millennial generation. Millennials remmber a time when a technology-absent childhood This double perspective makes it easier for millennials to view Gen Z as being obsessed with technology. “The millennial group was the first group to come through and have the technology, but Gen Z was the first group to see it with normal eyes. And so I think that your group, and like what everyone has, this is normal,” psychology teacher Shelly Burkett said. “This is how the world has always been. It’s different for the millennials.” Even members of Gen Z see that their generation tends to overindulge in technology. It has become evident to them that technology use could stunt their success. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children who grow up using technology mainly from the ages of zero
to five will have stunted brain development. This affects future relationships and healthy behavior. “People have become dependent on phones because everything that we do has to do with technology now, even our school books,” junior Hannah Stine said. Many Gen Zers are worried about the generations to come because they will be fully submerged in technology from the time they are born. “They’re going to be so dependent on technology that they won’t be able to do anything for themselves,” Stine said. Gen Z’s technology dependency makes them seem socially challenged. However, Gen Z is seen as very aware of the all-consuming nature of social media and are taking steps towards awareness. Some teenagers use apps to track their screen time and develop healthier habits.
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“I think that your generation is the generation that is pushing for social change, and like pushing to make even the online campaigns that we’re seeing,” Burket said. “It’s your generation making it more positive.” Even though Gen Z is taking steps to lessen their time spent on social media, many teens still have trouble getting away from screens. “That’s why we’re seeing such a huge spike in like depression and anxiety, and like just disassociation and stuff like that. Yeah. Because you can be a completely different person online,” Burkett said. Most research on the topic concludes that young people need to limit and monitor their technology use in order to avoid side effects such as lack of sleep, depression, isolation and anxiety. A CNN article about social media use explained 60% of girls’ psychological distress is related to low sleep, greater exposure to cyberbullying and less physical activity. All of these effects are traced back to social media. Despite all the harsh viewpoints on Generation Z, older generations have left large responsibilities for them, such as tackling climate change. Many millennials think that with the action they have already seen from young activists, Gen-Z has the potential to change the world. “I think that generation Z is hardworking, I think that your generation is pushing all of these changes that we’re seeing politically speaking,” Burkett said. “I think you guys are trying to fix it and are incredible, but I am sad that it has fallen to you guys to stay fix it.”
Generation Generation Z is is being viewed as tech obsessed by older generations BY ABBY KEANE
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Layout | Abby Keane | Sarah St. John
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Fake Faces
Computer Graphic Images rise into the spotlight on social media BY ABBY KEANE
Fake news and photoshopped images are common themes on the internet. But now, computergenerated humans are infiltrating social media. A frequent user of social media apps such as Instagram might be familiar with the term “influencer”: people who gain an audience by authenticity on social media and endorse brands for money. However, influencers like Miquela, Bermuda, Blawko or Shudu aren’t actual people. They are computer-generated images that look remarkably similar to real humans. Computer-generated imagery (CGI) are 3D images that are used in video games, commercials, films and now social media. There, they are presented as models and influencers. The generated models often look so real that it can be difficult to know whether they are real humans or CGI models. Since computer generated images can be difficult to tell apart from real humans, they can easily harm someone’s self confidence if they start comparing themselves with these unrealistic models. “I think they’re weird and toxic to some. People think they’re actually real, and then likely put that image on themselves,” junior Gabby Sierra said. According to the Pew Research Center, about seventy-five percent of Instagram users are aged eighteen to twenty-four. Their young age makes them susceptible to being influenced
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by the unrealistic expectations CGI models set. “I think especially with young girls, they may believe it, and then broadcast that on to their own viewpoints of like how their body should look like, or how their face should look,” Sierra said. However, while CGI models may create harmful body expectations, apps such as Photoshop can cause similar adverse effects. The increased exposure to Photoshop could dampen CGI’s effect on peoples’ perceived body image. “If it’s being used in the sense that like Photoshop is being used
now, and that’s how we change our standards of other people, then maybe. But I don’t think it would have a large impact,” junior Levi Van Tassel said. CGI models’ extensive influence has launched a wave of change in marketing. On social media, CGI models advertise mainly clothing lines. Their dramatic look makes them a prime candidate for modeling clothing. Many are booking jobs with fashion lines that real models dream of obtaining. CGI models are also seen in commercials for non-clothing companies. This makes users wonder if the products they are trying to sell are truly depicted accurately. “If they’re trying to sell like, let’s say makeup, that’s dishonest because it’s not on an actual person,” Sierra said. “But if they were using a model to hold like a handbag, that would be different because it’s not really affecting the product.”
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I think they’re weird and toxic to some. People think they’re actually real, and then likely put that image on themselves.” Gabby Sierra, junior CGI models could be considered a dishonest way to advertise products, but advertisers already use Photoshop to edit the look of their products in order to make them more appealing to buyers. “With advertising, CGI is as dishonest as photoshop,” Van Tassel said. One of the benefits that CGI models have over real models is that they can adapt to fit the image a specific advertiser is looking for. This quality makes them a more favorable choice for companies. Companies see their image as more reliable, therefore minimizing exposure to embarassment. These highly accommodating CGI models have allowed their creators to fabricate an image of an ideal human, upending the realms of social media and advertising.
Evolution of Gaming Virtual Reality’s growing popularity has begun to transfer to the world of video games BY JENNINGS FELT
Imagine this: You’re scuba diving. A
colorful school of fish passes by and some jellyfish bob along. Everything appears so tangible, but your eyes deceive you. Welcome to virtual reality. Through the years, gaming technology has majorly improved. Even though the virtual reality headset was created in 1968, it has only recently become a huge trend in the gaming world. There are a variety of different adventures a player can partake in. Senior Katherine Curtis had her own experience with the scary realistic features offered by VR. Her most memorable VR experience was running away from zombies as they chased her. “Basically, I was in the middle of this room, and there were just zombies coming from all around,” Curtis said. Even though it was a frightening experience, she still believes the new technology is highly entertaining. “It is cool that you feel like you’re not where you actually are. You’re in some alternate universe,” Curtis said. Many think VR is merely another way for kids and teenagers to sit at home in front of their screens. However, freshman Conor McGushin believes it can serve a purpose greater than entertainment. It can also aid in the business world. “Not only can it be used for gaming, but later on it will affect tons of jobs, partly taking away from traveling for meetings,” McGushin said.
In addition to changing the working landscape, VR has the ability to allow families and friends to connect. “I have a friend that I don’t get to see anymore in the real world,” McGushin said. “But I can see him using VR, which is just more fun than being on a phone call with them.” By using avatars and speaking through microphones, McGushin and his friend are able to communicate and play various VR games with each other. Though VR has been around for awhile, Curtis believes that offering it to a broader audience would enhance the technology. “It would be cool for kids if it was more accessible for everyone,” Curtis said. Not only is accessibility important, but so is the quality of the goggles. This is necessary in order to have a realistic view of the virtual scenery. “There are always ways it could improve,” McGushin said. “The main one is improving the amount of pixels on different screens, but different VR goggles require different changes.” No matter what needs to be improved, VR is still a widely popular video game tool. In the future, it has the possibility to extend its reach by aiding businesses and creating jobs.
Photo illustration | Alison Pike | Louis Volker
Layout | Abby Keane
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CLOSING the Gap Why female athletes benefit most from the NCAA’s new ruling
“Name, image, and likeness.” It’s these three terms that are about to shift the college playing field more than ever.
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n Oct. 29, the NCAA governing board voted unanimously to allow collegiate athletes to benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness in a manner consistent with the collegiate model, taking after California’s “Fair Pay to Play Act” that passed earlier in the month. It’s about time for a change in the world of college sports. The NCAA brought in $1 billion dollars in revenue during the 20162017 school year, but not a dime went to the athletes who made it all possible. California recognized this injustice first and took action. The uproar that followed, led by various colleges across the country, made room for plenty of speculation on how the NCAA would proceed. But they made the right call on this one — by not allowing states to pass legislation one by one, a chaotic, and frankly disastrous, situation was avoided. This new ruling does not call for mandated pay in any sense. It simply gives athletes the option to be compensated if they wish to utilize their platform. This move is garnering the support of influential peopl. Duke head basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said the California law was “a sign
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that we, the NCAA, haven’t adapted.” NBA player Lebron James and even presidential candidate Bernie Sanders agree that this law is becoming a big deal. The impact this has on future student athletes is monumental. And who’s coming out ahead? Women. Let’s take a look at basketball players across the United States. According to the NCAA, 3.4% of male high school basketball players went on to play in college, compared to 4% of the female players in 2018. Initially, it’s surprising that relatively more women go on to the NCAA than their male counterparts. After college, 1.2% of male players go on to play in the NBA, but only 0.9% of women go on to play in the WNBA. Fewer women go pro. But with essentially equal opportunities in high school and college for both genders, what’s alarming is the pay disparity once women reach the professional stage. The top WNBA earner this 2019 season, Phoenix’s DeWanna Bonner, will make a total of $127,500. NBA star Lebron James will earn a whopping $92 million between his salary and endorsements. Now, it’s a well-known fact that the NBA generates more revenue. More TV coverage, larger audience
— it’s just inevitable. But that’s not the issue. According to Forbes, the NBA pays its players about 50% of the league’s overall earnings. Looking at this, compared to the WNBA’s mere 22.8% dished out to players in 2017, it’s no wonder these women are so severely underpaid. The pay gap is widening every year, and something needs to give. The NCAA’s new law could play a crucial role in turning things around for the better. Regardless of gender, many college athletes who don’t go pro have next to no opportunities to profit from their talents. This legislation offers men and women a rare and meaningful opportunity to capitalize on their athletic achievements while they still have a stage to do so. The notion that college athletes can’t handle being compensated (beyond their school tuition) because they are “amateurs” is horribly outdated. How is a high school athlete running a Youtube channel promoting their brand different than a college student doing the same? Essentially, it’s not. It’s a given that sensational college athletes are going to be in high demand when the law is finalized. The entire set of morals the NCAA has been following is overdue for some revamping, given that social media and online aspects are in the mix. For women ,specifically, this law has tremendous potential. Will they go on to make nearly as much as their male counterparts? Absolutely not. The pay gap is not going away anytime soon. But it’s a step in the right direction.
the
viking News Staff
Editors-in-Chief Sahana Arumani Abby Keane Assistant Editors Avery Nelson Sarah St. John Lauren Smith Online Managing Editors Ella Krug Libby Peterson Erika Gesell Bailey Kuhn Photo Editor
Alison Pike
Photographer
Elle Pickering
Ads Managers Erika Gesell Ashlee Hall Editorial Board Sahana Arumani Ella Krug Jennings Felt Avery Nelson Erika Gesell Libby Peterson Ashlee Hall Alison Pike Abby Keane Lauren Smith Sarah St. John Staff Reporters
Senior Jack Shuford, a leader of Veteran’s Club, gave a speech during the veteran’s day assembly Nov. 11.
Sarah Brundage Kaitlyn Luczak Michael Chirillo Helen Maza Ben Cower Mikayla Morroni Marisa Del Borrello Afia Paracha Jennings Felt Libby Peterson Grace Ferrara Jake Rimmel James Fink Patrick Stevenson Garrett Hennessey Betsy Thorne Livy Keane Peter Twettten Izzy Kidd Maddy Wade Adviser
Shari Adwers, MJE
Layout | Sarah St. John | Lauren Smith| Avery Nelson
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Layout | Sarah St. John
