YA Dystopian novels dominated my time in middle school. As a budding teen, they served as a source of escapism. I could dive into the pages and fight alongside fierce teenage protagonists in a terrifyingly corrupt future world. These novels allowed me to explore these literary worlds and become a part of a united fictional community. But, I am left to wonder: where have all the diehard fans gone?
Read MoreIn a year of so much pain, many teenagers and adults have found comfort in their long-lost friends— stuffed animals. I do admit, I’ve spent way too much money on plushies in the past six months, but the joy I get from squeezing them each night is unmatched. Several of my friends and Unpublished staff members talked about the stories they have with their beloved animals, and my heart grew about three sizes, as I’m sure yours will too.
Read MoreAmerican sports culture and the fixation on childhood athletics is a massively impactful part of the development of our youth. Since retiring from what I thought would be a lifelong career of swimming, I have been able to reflect on whether or not competitive sports are really worth the cost.
Read MoreAs a means to cope with the workload, we have in the pandemic, we look towards productivity channels to bring us motivation. But are these doing more harm to us than good? Are we devaluing the things we do by comparing ourselves to a constructed image of productivity?
In 2013 I became friends with a group of girls who were obsessed with One Direction. Soon enough, I found myself having a Wattpad account under the username @MidnightLovesx. This username was sweet but the content I was reading under this username was definitely not. My browsing history was full of: #DarkZayn #PunkNiall #DarkHarry #BullyLouis #AlphaLiam #SoldtoOneDirection.
Read MoreDo you ever think about what direction your life may go in if you just open your heart a little more and be open to love, albeit the distance? A melancholic and grounding perspective on the dangers of Twitter and forming intense emotional connections while still embroiled in those formative, dangerous teenage years.
In our capitalist society, the narrative constantly being pushed is we need to work harder in order to become successful and ultimately happy. This is just untrue. Why does society constantly convince us we are not doing enough or not working hard enough? We all strive for greatness — but to what extent does this false narrative affect us? Can we be great without being productive?
Read MoreConfrontation—I'm like a finger painter when it comes to telling the people I care about when they've hurt me and holding them accountable. Instead, I let the feelings either build up to a never-ending resentment or at best a neutrality, which is a huge amount of brokenness from the original relationship I had with said person. Not only is confronting the people we love an act we can become better at, but it also leads to a more genuine healing process in the long run.
Read MoreI was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 16 or 17. I will explain the depths of dyslexia and how it is more than ‘words moving around’ — the way it’s commonly seen. My dyslexia was so underlying that it went unnoticed for years. Some may say that meant my dyslexia was not that bad, however it affected my learning and self-esteem for years without even knowing what it was.
Read MoreWhat constitutes one as religious? Is there an invisible line one must cross, a boundary that must be met? After being confronted with the idea that I may not be “as Jewish” as I initially thought, I revisit the things in my life that make me comfortable in my unique Jewish identity.
Read MoreIn a society so infatuated with appearances, it begs the question of whether our narcissistic tendencies are displays of vanity or expressions of self-love. In the era of social media and the ability to curate how the world perceives you through strategically chosen photos and videos, it becomes a fine line as to whether these are narcissistic tendencies or an outlet for people to show appreciation for themselves and their lives.
Read MoreAfter years of difficulty, I've finally come to accept that my dad and I will never have the father-daughter relationship that I had hoped for; that being one of unconditional love. But, contentment in the situation lies in accepting it for what it is, rather than chasing what will never be.
There are books that from the moment they touch your fingertips, up until the last word you read, leave you altered. To me, that book was “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong. The book is written as a letter from a Vietnamese American boy named Little Dog to his illiterate mother knowing she will never be able to read it.
Read MoreFor the first time in months, I finally was forced to confront my emotions. The pandemic amplified these feelings of grief that have been lingering inside me since my grandfather passed in February 2019. The more time I spent alone, the more time I thought about him: all our memories, photographs, songs, and stories. Different ways of coping ranged from writing poems to therapy sessions. Even though I have struggled, I believe this reflective period has given me some time to process this grief and equip myself with the proper tools to defend against negative thoughts.
Read MoreAs the days go on, we keep telling ourselves that we just need to get through this one week, and then everything will be okay. The problem: we tell ourselves this every single week. It seems like a never-ending loop that we are just along for the ride with. Especially with education, young people have been hit with a lot of stressors, and it feels like it will never end.
Read MoreEver since I was a little girl, I would watch Saturday Night Live with my grandmother. Even though I didn’t understand 75% of the sketches — those nights made me feel like a grown-up, and I loved it. Now seven years have passed, and I still enjoy getting lost in the comedy world for an hour and thirty minutes. As I am learning to embrace each oddity embedded in me, SNL has taught me that we can all be the stars of our show. No matter how weird or out of place we might feel in this world, we all deserve to reach our fullest potential.
Read MoreMoving out of a place you have spent most of your life in and have grown comfortable with your town or surroundings is scary. I believe it’s important to know, no matter what stage of life you’re in currently, how to move out from the perspective of someone who did it very recently. Here are some tips and tricks on moving out, and especially what I wish someone told me.
Read MoreIt is said that we are all “the average of the five people we spend the most time with.” Diving into this notion, I wanted to explore how we are touched by the people in our lives, and how we hold onto little pieces of those we have loved - and how each of these fragments makes up the mosaic that is our sense of self.
Read MoreYou don’t evolve into a new version of yourself overnight. You’re not going to be able to tell the difference in the mirror or in conversations right away. The gradual process of becoming is much more subtle than that. You’re going to have moments when you doubt yourself, but you’re also going to have days when you feel on top of the world. That is the beauty of becoming.
I've been around countless people who boast what they've read, who they've read, or even critiqued your assessment of their poem because they've been published and you have not. Instead of celebrating the joy of these things in a way that invites inclusivity and disregards shaming others, I find that our culture is rampant with TikTok music shaming and judging those who still wear skinny jeans when mom jeans are clearly the way to go. Equally, there's a counterculture to this gatekeeping, but it doesn't stop gatekeeping from being a thing-- so, why is it still a thing?
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