Entry #9- The Shien Apocalypse

 Last year during the stagnation of pandemic life, chances are that you have heard of America's number one apparel brand, Shein. Viral videos showcasing “Shein hauls” have had a tremendous influence on the younger demographic, and have led to a significant increase in online sales. Shein targets teens and young women. It adds thousands of new items to inventory daily and has around 600 000 products at all times. (BBC) While fast fashion brands are notorious for creating garments in short timeframes, Shein is ultra-fast. The company produces the same amount of garments in a week as a typical fashion brand would produce in months. (Wired) Most of Shein’s merchandise is often priced under $30, making it half as affordable as other fast fashion giants. (Brightly) If you have spent any amount of time on social media in the past year you have probably heard someone mention the brand or seen celebrities and influencers promote it. This new and addictive algorithm, made the western media explode with viral videos of Shein’s merchandise. As of today, Shein is ranked the most visited apparel site worldwide, and its growing popularity meets no end. In an era of rising environmental awareness, how is this even happening? Despite its growing popularity, Shein is not an ethical fashion brand because of questionable labor practices, poor sustainability, and the negative impact it has on teens.

So what does Shein's future hold for the environment? As the evidence demonstrates Shien is a highly unethical brand that abuses its workers and is toxic to the environment. On the contrary, the youth demand access to a wide variety of inexpensive apparel. What do you think about Shien?

Fuller Kylie. “The Truth About Shein: How Sustainable and Ethical Is the Fast Fashion Brand?.” Brightly, Oct. 8, 2022, https://brightly.eco/blog/shein-sustainability.

Jones Lora “Fast, Shein: The secretive Chinese brand dressing Gen Z” BBC, Nov. 9, 2021, https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59163278.

Vauhini Vara “Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control: Inside Shein’s Sudden Rise” Wired, May 4, 2022, https://www.wired.com/story/fast-cheap-out-of-control-inside-rise-of-shein. 

Entry #8 - Peta's Only Achievement; Fur Is Unfashionable

People for the ethical treatment of animals (PETA), is a well-known organization that advocates for animal rights as well as its scandalous ads and campaigns. PETA has been on a mission to reduce the popularity of fur clothing since 1980. This advertisement is the closing of PETA's 40-year-old goal that wants to persuade its audience that it is better to go without any clothing than to wear animal fur. The range of viewers is enormous, and chances are that most people will notice a nude woman displayed on a large billboard. However, the intended audience that Peta tries to hone in on this particular ad would have to be the generation from their mid-thirties and generally people who were teens when the campaign took off in the 90s. Viewers in their mid-30s are more likely to connect with celebrity Gillian Anderson and are consistently more aware of the fur industry than their younger counterparts. They are also more prone to bring the trend back. Between the celebrity status, and ethical message, PETA also employs a number of rhetorical devices to help promote a savvy advertisement that is intended to capture viewers and, ideally, convey its message. PETA's “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur ” campaign, communicates the message that animals should not be harmed and used as luxury clothing.

(Rankin , John Waddell. “Gillian Anderson Would Rather Go Naked than Wear Fur.” PETA, 11 Jan. 2019, https://www.peta.org/features/gillian-anderson-rather-go-naked/)

The "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign promotes the notion that animals should not be mistreated or turned into fashion accessories. This advertisement achieves a lot. After decades of protesting the usage of fur, PETA can call its campaign a success. Designers and fashion businesses have started using alternative materials in place of fur as a result of the ad during fashion week. The campaign makes the average fashion lover more conscious of the concept through the cover of actress and trusted activist Gillian Anderson. As a result, fur is a notorious clothing material due to the terrible and cruel truths that surround it. The convergence of various appeals and techniques to convey the intended message that wearing dead animals is incredibly unfashionable.

What do you think about fur? Would you wear it?

Entry #7. The Role Of Hashtags In Social Media

The hashtag, which was once thought to be revolutionary, has actually become a common function throughout all social media platforms. However with changing times and evolving trends, one might ask, are hashtags still relevant in 2023?

Hashtags have actually been utilized for numerous purposes, from raising awareness concerning social issues to advertising brand names and events. Hashtag activism, for instance , has actually contributed in driving social and political change by bringing attention to issues that may otherwise have been disregarded. The #MeToo movement, #BlackLivesMatter, and also with #TimesUp are merely a number of instances of precisely just how hashtags have been used to develop recognition and also stimulate conversations concerning important subjects.

Nevertheless as social media has actually created, so has using hashtags. Over the last couple of years, hashtags have in fact wound up being a whole lot even more commercialized, with. While this has actually caused the production of brand-new and ingenious campaigns, it has actually furthermore resulted in a saturation of hashtags, making it tough for customers to remain on top of the latest trends.

So, are hashtags still relevant in 2023? The answer is of course, but its relevance has shifted. Hashtags are still helpful for categorizing content and creating interaction, yet their impact on social modification could be winding down. In an age where social networks is dominated by funded material and influencers, using hashtags for advocacy as well as social modification can really feel insincere and contrived.

What do you think about the rise and fall of hashtags? 

 

Entry #6 - The Benefits of Meditation: How It Can Improve Your Mental Health

Mental health awareness month is coming up and I wanted to mention that practicing meditation is the best way to improve your mental and physical health. 

The most known benefit of meditation is that it can help reduce stress and anxiety meditation. While Meditation helps calm the mind and is known for decreasing stress hormones. It also gives an overall state of well being it and has been proven to be an effective treatment for anxiety and depression disorders as well as other illnesses. Research study shows that meditating on a normal basis can bring about physical improvements in the mind including regions related to psychological regulation and reduced anxiety and also anxiousness. (hölzel, 2011).

Most of us have active routines and also way of lives that require you to multitask and be effective, so you can make use of meditation as a tool to enhance emphasis and memory. This is a great tip for students who are stressed about finals or exam season. Not only will you have better focus on your studies but your cognitive function will also improve over time by including meditation into your schedule. 

Another benefit is improving your sleep. According to Hölzel's research practicing a bit of meditation everyday can also improve sleep quality. As most of us recognize, insomnia is an unpleasant state that is brought on by an overactive mind that can either avoid you from resting or even just mess up the high quality of your rest cycle. Yet regarding 5 minutes of continuous meditation before going to bed could be all you need to obtain sleepy or give your brain the boost needed to rest trough all the sleeping phases of the cycle.

Lastly, meditation is beneficial to your sense of self. It can heal hurt emotions, increase self awareness and acceptance. It is important to remember to be kind to yourself and others and become more aware of daily thoughts and actions this upcoming month. Meditation can serve as a time of self reflection, goal setting or healing. As mentioned before meditation is a powerful tool that can benefit your mental health and personal growth. 

Do you meditate? ❤☺

Reference:

Hölzel, B. K., Carmody, J., Evans, K. C., et al. (2011). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Research, 191(1), 36-43. doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006